Identification of Blood MicroRNA Alterations in Patients With Severe Active Alopecia Areata

In 2019, researchers from the Department of Dermatology at Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, conducted a study to explore blood microRNA (miRNA) alterations in patients with severe active alopecia areata (AA). Using an Agilent microarray that covers 2549 human miRNAs, they identified 36 significantly differentially expressed miRNAs in severe active AA patients. The miRNA target gene prediction and functional annotation analysis showed significant enrichment in several pathways including the ribosome, cancer, cell cycle, insulin signaling, transforming growth factor-β signaling, and p53 signaling pathways. The study concluded that blood dysregulated miRNAs are potentially associated with severe active AA and could function synergistically. These miRNAs might be promising targets for the development of novel treatments for AA in the future.