Evaluation of Serum Level of RANTES among Vitiligo Patients before and After Treatment by Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser

Abstract

Aim: RANTES (Regulated upon Activation, Normal T cells Expressed and Secreted) is a CC chemokine
that plays a critical role in activating and attracting a variety of cells. The present study aimed to evaluate the
expression of RANTES among stable non segmental vitiligo patients before and after treatment by fractional
CO2 laser.
Method: The present study was a non-randomized, comparative, trial that included 30 adults’ patients with
stable non-segmental vitiligo and 15 age and gender-matched healthy volunteers as a control group.All
eligible participants were exposed to sunlight twice daily for three months. In addition, patients with vitiligo
received three sessions of fractional CO2 (10600nm) laser therapy with one month apart between each
session. Assessment of serum RANTES in all subjects was done using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA) technique
Results: The mean RANTES significantly decreased to reach 980.483 ± 1957.1 ng/L in vitiligo patients
three months after treatment (p <0.001. Similarly, the mean VAS score significantly decreased to reach 12.7
±8.2. There were statistically significant differences between patients group and control group in terms of
RANTES (p <0.001); patients had significantly higher RANTES values than the control group before and
after treatment.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the current study suggests a possible involvement of RANTES in the development
of vitiligo lesions and it could be considered as a possible marker for screening of early disease.