An Underlying Mechanism of Hair Loss in Acrodermatitis Enteropathica

The study investigated the mechanism of hair loss in acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE) using zinc-deficient (ZD) and zinc-adequate (ZA) mice. ZD mice exhibited sparse hair and were stuck in the telogen stage, indicating a disrupted hair cycle. Unlike ZA mice, ZD mice did not regrow hair after depilation or shaving. However, switching ZD mice back to a ZA diet restored normal hair cycle and regrowth, suggesting zinc deficiency reversibly impaired hair regeneration. Immunofluorescence studies showed a lack of dermal papilla (DP) and hair germ (HG) cells in ZD mice, which are crucial for hair homeostasis. Additionally, gene expression analysis revealed downregulation of genes related to cornification and stem cellness in ZD hair follicles. The findings suggested that zinc deficiency led to atrophy of DP and HG cells and affected stem cell properties, causing hair loss and disrupted hair cycling.