Serum levels of folic acid and vitamin B12 in Korean patients with vitiligo

The association of vitiligo and pernicious anemia has been previously documented. The low levels of folic acid and vitamin B-12 were thought to be related to vitiligo. To date, there have been very few reports about the serum levels of folic acid and vitamin B-12 in patients with vitiligo. Using radioimmunoassay, we measured the serum levels of folic acid and vitamin B-12 in 100 Korean patients with vitiligo. The mean serum levels of folic acid and vitamin B-12 were 6.31+/-2.82 ng/ml and 630.25+/-230.94 pg/ml, respectively, in patients with vitiligo. These levels showed no significant difference compared to the normal control group, suggesting that folic acid and vitamin B-12 do not appear to play a role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo.