Alopecia Areata and Tofacitinib: A Prospective Multicenter Study from a Saudi Population

October 2021 in “ International Journal of Dermatology ”

Alanoud Al-Marzoug, May AlOrainy, Lama Altawil, Ghada Alhayaza, Rasha AlAnazi, Ahmed Al-Issa, Afaf Al AlSheikh, Abdullah Alkhalifah, Ruaa Alharithy

alopecia areata tofacitinib Janus kinase inhibitor Severity of Alopecia Tool SALT score systemic steroids alopecia totalis alopecia universalis AA JAK inhibitor steroids

From the encyclopedia

Alopecia Areata →

autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

Tofacitinib →

a JAK inhibitor for alopecia areata and other autoimmune conditions

Studysummary This study found that tofacitinib effectively induced hair regrowth in 62.2% of severe alopecia areata patients in Saudi Arabia after six months, with higher baseline Severity of Alopecia Tool scores and past steroid use linked to reduced response.

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

The study titled "Alopecia areata and tofacitinib: a prospective multicenter study from a Saudi population" conducted a prospective cohort study on 68 participants from three medical centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study aimed to assess the efficacy of tofacitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, in treating Alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune disorder characterized by nonscarring hair loss. The Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score was used to measure the percentage of hair loss at the start and the percentage of hair regrowth at 3 and 6 months. At the 6-month mark, data was available for 45 patients, 62.2% of whom achieved a SALT score of >50%. The study found that patients with a score of <50% had a significantly higher baseline SALT score compared to patients with >50% score. The past use of systemic steroids was associated with a diminished response to therapy. The response to therapy was significantly higher in patients with AA compared to alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis. The study concluded that tofacitinib is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for severe AA and exhibits a good safety profile.

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Research cited in this study

19 / 19 results

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