Chinese Journal of Dermatology ›› 1990, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (3): 150-152.

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THE ROLE OF HAIR FOLLICLE IN REPIGMENTATION IN VITILIGO

CUI Jian, SHEN Li-Yu   

  1. The Firrt Hospital of Beijing Medical University
  • Received:1988-08-04 Revised:1989-01-03 Online:1990-06-15 Published:1990-06-15

Abstract: Using dopa-toluidine blue stain and hair follicle splitted-dopy stain to study the melanocytes in the cpiderxnis and hair follicles of normal skin, vitiliginous lesion, and vitiliginous lesion at differrnt repigmentation stages,we found that active (melanotie) melanocytes existed only in normal epidermis, but there were some inactive (amelanotic) melanocytes in outer root sheath of normal hair follicles.In vitiligo, only the active melanocytes were destmytd while the inactive melanocytes in the outer root sheach of the follicles, which were the original source of rnelanocytes for repigmentation, were not affected. Treatment induces the proliferation of inactive melanocytes which migrate upward along the surface of the follicle towards the pcrifoliicular orifice of epidermis and extends centrifugally to form the pigmented islands in clinically improved areas. During migration into the epidermis,the melanocytes matured gradually in shape and function.