TLDR Patients with Alopecia areata have fewer specific immune cells that normally regulate the immune system, which may contribute to the condition.
The study investigated the role of T regulatory cells (Tregs) in Alopecia Areata (AA) by comparing 20 AA patients with active hair loss to 15 healthy subjects. It found a significant reduction in the Treg suppressor HLA-DR+ subpopulation and CD39+ cells among the CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg subpopulation in AA patients. Specifically, FOXP3+CD39+ Treg cells were reduced by 75% in non-lesional skin and 90% in lesional skin of AA patients. Additionally, the study identified unique Treg clonotypes in healthy individuals that were absent in AA patients, suggesting a protective role. The findings suggest that the deficiency of these Treg cells may contribute to the disease process and that targeting CD39 expression on T-cells could be a potential therapeutic approach. The study also noted a clonotypic restriction in the Treg TCRβ-chain in AA patients, indicating a less diverse TCR repertoire, which could be involved in the pathogenesis of AA.
18 citations,
January 2017 in “Annals of dermatology/Annals of Dermatology” Certain immune cells contribute to severe hair loss in chronic alopecia areata, with Th17 cells possibly having a bigger impact than cytotoxic T cells.
56 citations,
October 2016 in “Journal of dermatological science” New insights into the causes and treatments for the autoimmune hair loss condition Alopecia areata have been made.
62 citations,
June 2015 in “The Journal of Dermatology” People with alopecia areata have more Th17 cells and fewer Treg cells, which may be key to the condition's development.
62 citations,
January 2015 in “Journal of Dermatological Science” New genetic discoveries may lead to better treatments for alopecia areata.
16 citations,
January 2015 in “Current problems in dermatology” Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune hair loss condition that needs more research for better treatments.
23 citations,
December 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Genetic discoveries are leading to new treatments for alopecia areata.
295 citations,
January 2006 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Alopecia areata, a common autoimmune hair loss condition, often runs in families.
148 citations,
December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.
4 citations,
November 2018 in “JAAD case reports” Alopecia areata can sometimes appear as a straight line of hair loss instead of round patches.
May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.