Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 10 2 2011 06 15 81 89 EN Behnaz Esmaeili Immunology, Asthma & Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Seyed Abdol Rahim Rezaee Immunology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Pouran Layegh Department of Dermatology, Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Jalil Tavakkol Afshari Immunology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Phil Dye Center for Integrated Genomic Medical Research, Manchester interdisciplinary Biocentre, University of Manchester, UK Ehsan Ghayoor Karimiani Center for Integrated Genomic Medical Research, Manchester interdisciplinary Biocentre, University of Manchester, UK Fatemeh Kalalinia Biotechnology Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Houshang Rafatpanah Rheumatic Disease Research center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran 2015 10 01 Vitiligo is a pigmentation disorder in which inflammatory mediators such as cytokines have a pivotal role in disease's pathogenesis. Interleukin 17 (IL-17A) is a proinflammatory cytokine which is involved in the induction of several proinflamatory mediators such as cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2). The aim of this study was to investigate the gene expression of IL-17 and COX2 in peripheral blood leukocytes of vitiligo's patients. Peripheral blood leukocytes from 15 patients with vitiligo and 15 healthy controls were separated using a gradient density centrifugation method. After total RNA isolation and cDNA synthesis, IL-17 and COX2 gene expression were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). There were no significant differences in IL-17 and COX2 gene expression in lymphocytes of patients with vitiligo compared with control group (p<0.05). However there was an increased IL-17 and COX2 gene expression in neutrophils of patients compared to controls, but it did not reach statistical significance (p=0.05).  We could not find any differences in IL-17 and Cox2  gene expression between clinical diseases subtypes, sex and age. There was a significant correlation between IL-17 and COX2 genes expression in the neutrophils of patients (p=0.00, r=0.80). Our results showed an increased expression in IL-17 and Cox-2 genes in neurophils of patients with vitiligo. This suggested that these two factors are involved in the inflammatory process. Further studies with a larger sample size might help to establish the role of these factors in the pathogenesis of diseases. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/296 https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/download/296/296