Allergen Desensitization Reduces the Severity of Relapsed Alopecia Areata in Dust-Mite Allergic Patients

April 2023 in “ Experimental Dermatology ”

Zixun Zeng, Shuifeng Li, Yanting Ye, Yunxia Ling, Yugang Gong, Zi Xue, Jian Yang, Kevin J. McElwee, Xingqi Zhang

alopecia areata allergen immunotherapy house dust mites SALT score immunoglobulin E cytokines IL-5 IL-33 Th2 dominance AA AIT HDM tIgE

Studysummary This study found that adding allergen immunotherapy to conventional treatment may reduce relapse-related hair loss in house dust mite-allergic alopecia areata patients over a 3-year period.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The study investigates the impact of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) on alopecia areata (AA) severity in patients allergic to house dust mites (HDM). Conducted on 69 AA patients with HDM allergy, 34 received AIT alongside traditional AA treatment (AIT-TrAA), while 35 received only traditional treatment. Over a 3-year desensitization course, the AIT-TrAA group showed lower SALT scores, indicating reduced hair loss severity, particularly in non-alopecia totalis/universalis patients and pre-adolescents. A decrease in total immunoglobulin E (tIgE) levels correlated with reduced AA severity. The study suggests that AIT may mitigate relapse-related hair loss by counteracting Th2 dominance, offering a potential adjunctive treatment for allergic AA patients.

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