Alopecia Areata and Risk of Atopic and Autoimmune Conditions: Population-Based Cohort Study

    November 2022 in “ Clinical and Experimental Dermatology ”
    Simon Holmes, Matthew Harries, A. E. Macbeth, Wing Sin Chiu, Simon de Lusignan, Andrew G. Messenger, Christos Tziotzios
    TLDR People with alopecia areata are more likely to have other immune-related conditions.
    The study investigated the association between alopecia areata (AA) and the risk of developing atopic and autoimmune conditions in a cohort of 8,051 adults with newly diagnosed AA compared to 32,204 matched controls. It found that individuals with AA had a higher prevalence of atopic conditions (37.2% vs. 26.7%) and autoimmune conditions (11.5% vs. 7.9%) than the control group. The AA group was 43% more likely to develop new-onset atopic conditions and 45% more likely to develop autoimmune conditions, with specific increases in atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, autoimmune hypothyroidism, systemic lupus erythematosus, and vitiligo. The study suggested that both Th1 and Th2 immune responses might be involved in the pathogenesis of AA, highlighting the importance of monitoring patients with AA for these comorbidities.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    9 / 9 results