TLDR People with first-time vitiligo have lower levels of a certain brain protein compared to healthy individuals.
In the 2014 study, researchers found that serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were significantly lower in 57 patients with first onset vitiligo (1.57±0.97 ng/dL) compared to 58 age and sex-matched healthy subjects (2.37±1.73 ng/dL). The study suggested that the reduced BDNF levels might be related to the etiology of vitiligo or a biological predisposition to psychiatric disorders in the vitiligo patient population. This was the first study to compare serum BDNF levels between these two groups, indicating the need for further research to confirm these preliminary findings.
532 citations,
August 2011 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Vitiligo is a skin condition causing white spots, more common in women, often starts before age 20, and can affect mental health.
10 citations,
July 2011 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Lower growth factors linked to balding in androgenetic alopecia.
99 citations,
January 2004 in “Progress in brain research” Neurotrophins are important for hair growth and could help treat hair loss.
194 citations,
March 2003 in “American Journal of Pathology” Stress stops hair growth in mice by causing early hair growth phase end and harmful inflammation through a specific nerve-related pathway.
125 citations,
September 2001 in “The FASEB Journal” Stress can cause hair loss by negatively affecting hair follicles and this effect might be reversed with specific treatments.
101 citations,
January 1997 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Nerves and chemicals in the body can affect hair growth and loss.
Certain gene variations and different levels of BDNF and CRH hormones are linked to vitiligo.
67 citations,
July 2016 in “Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders” Stress can worsen skin conditions by affecting hormone levels and immune response.
2 citations,
September 2015 in “Journal of the Egyptian Women's Dermatologic Society (Print)” People with psoriasis and depression have lower BDNF levels, which could help measure depression in those with psoriasis.
October 2024 in “World Journal of Psychiatry” Stress worsens hair loss in androgenetic alopecia.
April 2024 in “International journal of molecular sciences” Alopecia areata and vitiligo share immune system dysfunction but differ in specific immune responses and affected areas.
