75 citations,
October 2012 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Alopecia areata can be triggered by specific immune cells without genetic or environmental factors.
28 citations,
May 2012 in “Experimental Dermatology” 421 citations,
April 2012 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune condition causing hair loss with no cure and treatments that often don't work well.
124 citations,
January 2012 in “Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology” Endocannabinoids help control mast cell activity in human skin.
47 citations,
December 2011 in “Experimental Dermatology” CGRP may help protect hair follicles from immune system attacks, potentially slowing hair loss.
20 citations,
December 2010 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Decreased CD200 in hair follicles may cause immune issues in some alopecia areata cases.
717 citations,
June 2010 in “Nature” A genome-wide association study conducted on 1,054 cases and 3,278 controls identified several susceptibility loci for alopecia areata, suggesting the involvement of both innate and adaptive immunity in the disease. The study highlighted significant associations with genes related to regulatory T cells, CTLA4, IL-2/IL-21, IL-2RA, and the HLA region, as well as genes expressed in the hair follicle like PRDX5 and STX17. Notably, the ULBP gene cluster on chromosome 6q25.1, encoding ligands for the natural killer cell receptor NKG2D, was implicated for the first time in autoimmune disease, with ULBP3 expression upregulated in the hair follicle during active disease. This research provided insights into the genetic basis of alopecia areata and suggested a novel mechanism involving ULBP ligand upregulation in autoimmunity.
253 citations,
December 2007 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” The study explored how hair follicles (HFs) maintain immune privilege (IP) to avoid natural killer (NK) cell attacks, which typically target cells with low MHC class I expression. It was found that HFs actively suppress NK cells, with the HF epithelium expressing the NK cell inhibitor macrophage migration inhibitory factor. In healthy individuals, fewer NK function-activating receptors and more inhibitory receptors were present compared to those with alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune disease linked to a breakdown of HF-IP. AA patients showed increased NK cell activity around hair follicles, suggesting a defect in NK cell inhibition that contributes to the disease's pathogenesis. This defect was previously unreported and highlighted the need for considering NK cell activity in AA management.
159 citations,
December 2007 in “American Journal of Pathology” Stress-related substance P may lead to hair loss and negatively affect hair growth.
44 citations,
December 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Certain genetic markers, especially the MICA gene, are linked to alopecia areata.