ABSTRACT
“Autoimmunity” is held responsible for vitiligo, as there is evidence in the form of a higher prevalence of vitiligo in different autoimmune diseases with the presence of organ-specific antibodies in affected patients. The autoimmune hypothesis of vitiligo is strongly supported by its frequent association with autoimmune disease and/or with one or more organ and non-organ-specific autoantibodies. Among autoimmune diseases, the strongest association is with thyroid disease. Others include alopecia areata, Addison disease, autoimmune gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), pernicious anemia, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).
