Patrick A Riley
The pathogenesis of vitiligo based on the model of depigmentation produced by topical application of phenolic compounds that are substrates for tyrosinase is outlined. The main steps in the pathway consist of the haptenation of melanosomal proteins by the quinone products of the analogue phenols with the generation of neo-antigens which are able to elicit a cell-mediated immune response that results in loss of melanocytes and consequent epidermal depigmentation. The source and nature of the haptogenic compounds is unknown but may be of dietary origin. It is suggested that the pattern of depigmentation in vitiligo is determined by regional variations in tyrosinase activity. The possibility of utilizingquinone-mediated haptenation as a means of targeting anti-melanoma immunotherapy is briefly discussed.
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