Computer-Assisted Epitope Prediction Revealed Potential Autoantigens Associated with Human Alopecia Areata
May 2018
in “
Journal of Investigative Dermatology
”
alopecia areata autoantigens epitope prediction hair follicle-expressed proteins anagen stage HLA-I HLA-II peptide panels PBMCs melanogenesis-related proteins T cell responses Th1 responses Th2 responses AA human leukocyte antigen class I human leukocyte antigen class II peripheral blood mononuclear cells
TLDR Melanogenesis-related proteins may trigger immune responses in alopecia areata patients.
Researchers investigated potential autoantigens in alopecia areata (AA) by using computer-assisted epitope prediction. They identified 313 hair follicle-expressed proteins, focusing on those specific to the anagen stage. Using HLA-I and II epitope prediction, they designed peptide panels and tested them on 10 AA patients' PBMCs. The study found that peptides from melanogenesis-related proteins induced higher T cell responses in AA patients compared to healthy donors, indicating strong Th1 and Th2 responses. This research aimed to define AA-associated antigens to aid in developing diagnostic tools and antigen-specific therapies.
