TLDR Alopecia areata patients have higher levels of certain immune receptors, suggesting new treatment possibilities.
This study investigated the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLR-3, TLR-7, TLR-8, and TLR-9) in 40 alopecia areata (AA) patients compared to 10 healthy controls. Using real-time quantitative PCR, it was found that the expression levels of these TLRs were significantly higher in AA patients, with average relative expressions of 54.40, 111.69, 34.45, and 112.51, respectively. The expression was slightly higher in male patients and peaked in the 21-30 age group. The findings suggest that TLRs play a crucial role in the autoimmunity of AA, potentially guiding new therapeutic strategies. Further research is needed to explore targeted TLR expression for developing new treatments for AA.
134 citations,
July 2020 in “Experimental dermatology” Hair follicles are normally protected from the immune system, but when this protection fails, it can cause hair loss in alopecia areata.
148 citations,
December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.
12 citations,
March 2016 in “BBA clinical” Increased Toll-like receptors in blood cells may contribute to alopecia areata and could be a target for new treatments.
162 citations,
October 2014 in “Autoimmunity reviews” Alopecia areata is caused by the immune system attacking hair follicles.
701 citations,
August 2014 in “Nature medicine” Alopecia areata can be reversed by JAK inhibitors, promoting hair regrowth.
18 citations,
January 2014 in “Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii” Personalized treatment plans are important for people with alopecia areata.
148 citations,
December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.
4 citations,
November 2018 in “JAAD case reports” Alopecia areata can sometimes appear as a straight line of hair loss instead of round patches.
May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.
