Antigen Presenting Cells in the Skin of a Patient with Hair Loss and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
September 2009
in “
PubMed
”
systemic lupus erythematosus SLE scalp hair loss arthralgias epidermal hyperkeratosis lymphocytes histiocytes CD4 positive cells hair follicles sebaceous glands antibodies antigen presenting cells APCs dendritic cells DCs Pattern Recognition Receptors PRRs alopecia lupus hair loss joint pain skin thickening immune cells hair roots oil glands immune proteins immune system cells immune system sensors
TLDR Antigen presenting cells around hair follicles are crucial in SLE-related hair loss.
The study investigated the role of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in hair loss associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a 33-year-old female patient. It found a significant presence of APCs, including Langerhans cells and dermal dendritic cells, around hair follicles and sebaceous glands, suggesting these cells contribute to the local immune response and inflammation leading to hair loss. The patient showed improvement with treatment involving chloroquine, prednisone, and topical steroids. This was the first report indicating a significant presence of APCs around hair follicles in SLE patients, highlighting the importance of APCs in the pathogenesis of SLE-related alopecia and the need for further research.
