The Incidence Of Iron Deficiency Anemia In Vitiligo Patients

Background: Vitiligo is a common depigmentation of skin diseases, the incidence rate is 0.5% ~ 1%, and shows an increasing trend. Its exact etiology and pathogenesis is not clear, the pathogenesis of the hypothesis is mainly related to autoimmunity, genetic, oxidative stress, self-destruction of melanocytes, neurochemical factors. In recent years, studies have shown that the pathogenesis of vitiligo may be associated with its associated diseases, such as complicated with autoimmune disease in diabetes, thyroid disease, alopecia, pernicious anemia. And many studies have also indicated that patients with vitiligo are prone to cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, myocardial infarction. And many of the cardiovascular diseases are thought to be associated with oxidative stress. Iron deficiency anemia is microcytic hypochromic anemia caused by iron deficiency. It is one of the abnormal hemoglobin synthesis anemia, which is the most common type of anemia. The incidence of iron deficiency anemia is high, affecting a wide range of people, children and women of childbearing age are most likely to be involved. Meanwhile, more and more studies have showed that iron deficiency anemia can cause the changes of immune, neurochemical factors, especially oxidative stress. And these factors are closely related with the occurrence and development of vitiligo. However, there were only a few case reports about vitiligo patients with iron deficiency anemia, lacking a large sample of clinical research. And at present there is no research on the incidence of iron deficiency anemia in patients with vitiligo. This study investigated the incidence of iron deficiency anemia in patients with vitiligo, and analysed the relationship between the degree of anemia and vitiligo disease stage, type and lesion area. And we further detected the level of serum antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase and catalase of iron deficiency anemia in patients with vitiligo, and compared their differences with the general population.Methods: 1. The clinical data and blood of 400 vitiligo patients and 360 normal people from the physical examination were collected, and the incidence of iron deficiency anemia between them was compared and analyzed. 2. The hemoglobin content of patients with iron deficiency anemia in vitiligo patients group and the normal people was observed, and analyzed the difference of degree of anemia between the two groups. 3. The relationship between the degree of anemia and vitiligo type, stage and skin lesion area was analyzed. 4. The activity of serum superoxide dismutase and catalase in paired selected vitiligo with iron deficiency anemia and vitiligo without iron deficiency anemia in each of 16 cases was detected. The aim was to clarify whether iron deficiency anemia affected the antioxidant capacity of vitiligo patients.Results: 1. Compared with the normal people, the incidence of iron deficiency anemia increased significantly in vitiligo patients(9%vs17%, P<0.05). The incidence of iron deficiency anemia in children and adult female vitiligo patients was higher than that in normal people(30%vs15%, 26%vs14%, P<0.05). Besides, the incidence of progressive vitiligo with iron deficiency anemia was also significantly higher than that of stable vitiligo(21%vs12%, P<0.05). However, there was no significant correlation between the skin lesion area, the type of vitiligo and the incidence of iron deficiency anemia. 2. Compared with iron deficiency anemia patients of normal people, the hemoglobin content of iron deficiency anemia patients with vitiligo significantly declined(109.55±7.54vs102.69±11.54, P<0.05). The average hemoglobin value of adult female vitiligo patients with iron deficiency anemia was significantly lower than that of adult female normal people with iron deficiency anemia(98.03±13.27vs109.71±8.07, P<0.05). 3. Vitiligo type, stage and skin lesion area were not significantly correlated with the degree of anemia. 4. The serum catalase activity in vitiligo with iron deficiency anemia group was significantly lower than that in vitiligo without iron deficiency anemia group(701.48±70.05vs778.88±118.89, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in superoxide dismutase activity between the vitiligo patients with iron deficiency anemia and the vitiligo patients without iron deficiency anemia.Conclusion: Through this study, we found that the incidence of iron deficiency anemia was higher in vitiligo patients, especially in children and adult female patients. The degree of anemia was more severe in vitiligo patients with iron deficiency anemia, especially in adult female patients. And the antioxidant capacity decreased more significantly in vitiligo patients with iron deficiency anemia. In clinic, in vitiligo patients, especially in children and adult women patients, we should pay attention to the screening and timely treatment of iron deficiency anemia.