Mapping of an autoimmunity susceptibility locus (AIS1) to chromosome 1p31.3-p32.2.

Generalized vitiligo is a common autoimmune disorder in which patchy loss of skin and hair pigmentation results from loss of pigment-forming melanocytes from the involved regions. Vitiligo occurs with a frequency of about 1% in most populations, and is highly associated with other autoimmune disorders, particularly Hashimoto thyroiditis. Most cases of vitiligo are sporadic, although some cases cluster in families, and the disorder is thought to be oligogenic in origin.