The role of serum inflammatory factors in predicting treatment response in patients with vitiligo and concomitant Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Introduction:
Vitiligo (VL) is associated with several autoimmune diseases, especially Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, VL and concomitant Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) up to 34% in VL.

Aim:
To assess the predictive value of serum inflammatory factors in guiding treatment response among patients with concurrent VL and concomitant HT.

Material and methods:
This retrospective study enrolled 67 cases of VL and concomitant HT, and the patients according to treatment outcomes were divided into the unsatisfied group and the satisfied group. The serum thyroid parameters, autoimmune markers, and inflammatory factor levels were analysed and the correlation analysis of serum inflammatory factors was made.

Results:
The study analysis of serum thyroid parameters showed elevated levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroperoxidase (TPO), and thyroglobulin (Tg) (p < 0.05) in the group with unsatisfactory treatment response. Patients in the unsatisfied group exhibited elevated inflammatory factor levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) (p < 0.05) compared to their counterparts in the satisfied group. Correlation analysis showed that the levels of the above inflammatory factors were significantly negatively correlated with the treatment response.

Conclusions:
CRP, TNF-a, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 showed the strongest correlation with VL and concomitant HT, and serum inflammatory factors levels can predict treatment response in patients with VL and concomitant HT.