Fibroproliferative Genes Are Preferentially Expressed in Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia

The study examined the gene expression in patients with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) and found an upregulation of fibroproliferative genes, which are also seen in other fibroproliferative disorders. The research involved 5 patients with CCCA, each providing two scalp biopsy specimens for microarray analysis. This analysis showed increased expression of genes related to fibrosis, such as PDGF, COL I, COL III, and various MMPs, and a significant overlap in pathways with atherosclerosis and hepatic fibrosis. The study suggests that CCCA may share pathogenetic mechanisms with other fibroproliferative disorders, which could inform future treatments. However, the study's limitations include a small sample size and the use of whole skin tissue for analysis. The authors propose that anti-fibrotic therapies, like losartan, atorvastatin, and lovastatin, could be potential treatments for CCCA. Future research should focus on isolating fibroblast gene expression in diseased scalp to better understand the development of CCCA and identify therapeutic targets.