Good Efficacy Achieved by Baricitinib in the Treatment of Anti-MDA5 Antibody-Positive Dermatomyositis with Alopecia Areata

The document presents a case study of a 25-year-old female patient with anti-MDA5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis (DM) and alopecia areata. Initial treatment with prednisone, MMF, and tacrolimus for 2 months relieved some symptoms but did not stop hair loss. The addition of baricitinib, a selective JAK1/2 inhibitor, to the treatment regimen resulted in significant relief of the patient's rash, cessation of hair loss, and hair regrowth after 5 months. The document suggests that the overexpression of the JAK-STAT signalling pathway in both DM and alopecia areata may be a key factor in these conditions. This is the first reported case of using baricitinib to treat a patient with anti-MDA5 antibody-positive DM and alopecia areata, with significant results.