TLDR Cytokeratins 15 and 19 may help track vitiligo treatment progress.
The study investigated the expression of cytokeratins CK15 and CK19 as potential stem cell markers in vitiligo patients undergoing narrow-band ultraviolet therapy. Among 28 patients, CK15 was expressed in 61% and CK19 in 39%, primarily in the follicular and interfollicular epithelium. Expression was more evident in patients under 20 years old, with shorter disease duration, stable disease, and normally pigmented hairs. The presence of these cytokeratins was significantly correlated with the improvement of vitiligo lesions, suggesting their potential as valuable tools for monitoring stem cell stimulation and the repigmentation process in vitiligo.
15 citations
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January 2013 in “Dermatologic Surgery” Epithelial grafting can effectively repigment white hair in vitiligo patients.
351 citations
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February 2010 in “Nature Cell Biology” Basal cell carcinoma mostly starts from cells in the upper skin layers, not hair follicle stem cells.
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August 2008 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” Cytokeratin 19 and cytokeratin 15 are key markers for monitoring the quality and self-renewing potential of engineered skin.
550 citations
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December 2005 in “The Journal of clinical investigation/The journal of clinical investigation” Researchers successfully isolated and identified key markers of stem cell-enriched human hair follicle bulge cells.
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198 citations
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