¿Qué son los inhibidores de JAK-STAT? Un tratamiento prometedor contra el vitíligo.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a chronic depigmenting autoimmune disease, in which there is selective loss of melanocytes. It is considered the most common depigmentation disease, and its importance lies in the alteration in quality of life that it can cause. There are two JAK-STAT inhibitor drugs studied for the treatment of vitiligo: ruxolitinib and tofacitinib. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a narrative review of the current use of JAK inhibitors for the treatment of vitiligo. METHODOLOGY: The bibliography search was carried out in PubMed, Scielo and Google Scholar, the words used were "JAK inhibitors" AND "vitiligo" AND "ruxolitinib" AND "tofacitinib" from September 2021 to January 2023. RESULTS: Ruxolitinib is a JAK1 and 2 inhibitor originally developed for the treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms, while tofacitinib is a JAK1 and 3 inhibitor initially approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; important repigmentation has been observed with both drugs in patients suffering from vitiligo. Among the adverse effects of ruxolitinib, respiratory infections, hematomas, urinary infections, anemia and thrombocytopenia stand out. Its topical administration can lead to local irritation and acneiform reactions. The adverse effects of tofacitinib include opportunistic infections, headache, hypertension, dyslipidemia, neutropenia, and increased serum creatinine. Concomitant management with phototherapy has been shown to enhance its effects, giving better results. CONCLUSIONS: The results of current studies on the use of these medications for the treatment of vitiligo are promising, representing an alternative for those patients who have been resistant to other therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]