Failure of passive transfer of serum from patients with alopecia areata and alopecia universalis to inhibit hair growth in transplants of human scalp skin grafted on to nude mice

This study investigated whether serum from patients with alopecia areata (AA) and alopecia universalis (AU) affected hair growth in human scalp skin grafts on nude mice. Forty mice were used, with some receiving patients' serum and others normal serum, alongside topical treatments of cyclosporin or olive oil. Hair growth occurred in most grafts, and the serum from AA and AU patients did not inhibit this process. Although immunofluorescence showed immunoglobulin and complement deposition in hair follicles, particularly in affected skin, the injection of patient serum did not alter hair growth, indicating that the serum did not play a role in inhibiting hair growth in this model.