Genetic Association of HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DRB1 Polymorphisms with Alopecia Areata in the Italian Population

The study investigated the association of HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DRB1 alleles with alopecia areata (AA) in an Italian population using a case-control approach. It involved 85 patients with AA and 210 healthy controls. The findings indicated an increased frequency of the DQB1*03 allele, coding for DQ7 heterodimers, in patients, particularly those with more severe hair loss (>50%), compared to controls. The DQB1*06 allele was less frequent in patients. No significant differences were found in DRB1 variants between cases and controls. The study concluded that the HLA-DQB1 locus, specifically DQB1*03 (DQ7), was associated with AA susceptibility, highlighting the potential importance of HLA genetic testing in managing AA.