SONIYA JANGRA, KAMAL AGGARWAL, HEENA GULIA, AMITA SUNEJA DANG, NEHA VERMA, SHIV KUMAR GIRI, GULAB SINGH AND ANIL KUMAR*
Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak-124 001 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail: anil.cmbt@mdurohtak.ac.in; Mobile: 98174 01559)
(Received: December 14, 2025; Accepted: March 7, 2026)
ABSTRACT
Vitiligo is characterized by melanocyte loss, where oxidative stress and genetic factors can contribute to the risk of disease. Elevated levels of oxidative stress biomarkers such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC) indicate lipid and protein oxidation, respectively, while macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) gene polymorphisms may determine the individual susceptibility to disease risk. This study included 110 patients with vitiligo and 110 controls. Serum MDA and PC levels were measured using a spectrophotometer. Genetic polymorphism in the MIF-173 G>C (rs755622 G>C) gene was determined by performing PCR-RFLP. Group differences were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test; genetic associations were assessed by odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Patients with GC genotype showed significantly higher MDA [1.05 (0.80-1.22) µmol/L] and PC [2.50 (1.59-3.64) nmol/mg protein] levels compared to the GG genotype [MDA: 0.62 (0.40-0.80); PC: 2.05 (1.36-3.18)]. The CC genotype exhibited the highest PC levels [5.00 (3.07-8.07)]. The GC genotype was more frequent in patients (59.1%) than in controls (24.5%), conferring an increased risk of vitiligo (OR = 4.9; 95% CI: 2.69-8.61; p < 0.001). However, the CC genotype association was not statistically significant. Increased oxidative damage, especially in GC and CC genotypes, together with the allelic variations in the MIF-173 gene, may contribute to enhanced vitiligo susceptibility, highlighting the interplay of oxidative stress and genetic predisposition. Key words: Vitiligo, oxidative stress, macrophage inhibitory factor, genetic susceptibility