TLDR Alopecia areata involves both innate and adaptive immunity, with specific genes linked to the disease.
The genome-wide association study on alopecia areata (AA) involved 1,054 cases and 3,278 controls, identifying 139 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with the disease. The study implicated both innate and adaptive immunity in AA's pathogenesis, highlighting the role of regulatory T cells, CTLA4, IL-2/IL-21, IL-2RA, and the HLA region. A novel finding was the strong association with the ULBP gene cluster on chromosome 6q25.1, which encodes ligands for the natural killer cell receptor NKG2D. ULBP3 expression was significantly upregulated in the hair follicle dermal sheath of AA patients, suggesting that CD8+NKG2D+ cytotoxic T cells might mediate autoimmune destruction in AA. The research provided insights into the genetic underpinnings of AA, linking it to shared autoimmune pathways and suggesting a new disease mechanism involving ULBP ligand upregulation.
253 citations,
December 2007 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Hair follicles prevent NK cell attacks to avoid hair loss.
286 citations,
August 2007 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease where T cells attack hair follicles.
143 citations,
January 2007 in “The American Journal of Human Genetics” Certain genes on chromosomes 6, 10, 16, and 18 may increase the risk of alopecia areata.
4 citations,
November 2023 in “Frontiers in immunology” New treatments targeting T-cell pathways are needed for better alopecia areata management.
83 citations,
June 2018 in “Frontiers in immunology” Certain types of T cells are essential for healthy skin and play a role in skin diseases, but more research is needed to improve treatments.
2 citations,
September 2022 in “Frontiers in Immunology” T-regulatory cells are important for skin health and can affect hair growth and reduce skin inflammation.
191 citations,
May 2018 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” Alopecia areata is likely an autoimmune disease with unclear triggers, involving various immune cells and molecules, and currently has no cure.
56 citations,
October 2016 in “Journal of dermatological science” New insights into the causes and treatments for the autoimmune hair loss condition Alopecia areata have been made.
