Complete Hair Regrowth in a Young Male With Severe Atopic Dermatitis and Alopecia Areata After Dupilumab: Probably More Than a Coincidence

August 2023 in “ Portuguese journal of dermatology and venereology ”

Pedro Rolo Matos, A. R. de A. Nogueira, Patrícia Amoedo, Filomena Azevedo

dupilumab atopic dermatitis alopecia areata IL-4 receptor Th2 immune response Dupixent

TLDR Dupilumab led to complete hair regrowth and improved skin condition in a young man with severe eczema and hair loss.

A 29-year-old male with severe atopic dermatitis (AD) and alopecia areata (AA) experienced complete hair regrowth and significant improvement in AD after starting dupilumab therapy. Dupilumab, which blocks the IL-4 receptor, reduced the Th2 immune response, leading to these positive outcomes. Despite some controversy about dupilumab's effects on AA, this patient showed dramatic improvement without significant side effects, enhancing his quality of life. Identifying predictors of good response to dupilumab could help select patients with severe AD and AA who would benefit most from this treatment.

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research Dupilumab for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata in Children with Atopic Dermatitis

7 citations , October 2021 in “JAAD case reports”

Dupilumab may help treat alopecia areata in children with atopic dermatitis, but it can also cause new hair loss.

research Alopecia Areata in 2 Patients Treated with Dupilumab: New Onset and Worsening

26 citations , August 2019 in “JAAD Case Reports”

Dupilumab for atopic dermatitis may cause new or worsen existing alopecia areata.

research Dupilumab Treatment for Atopic Dermatitis Leading to Unexpected Treatment for Alopecia Universalis

19 citations , February 2019 in “JAAD case reports”

A medication for skin rash also unexpectedly treated hair loss in a patient.

research Drug-Induced Alopecia After Dupilumab Therapy

49 citations , January 2019 in “JAAD case reports”

Dupilumab may cause significant hair loss, which can reverse after stopping the drug.

research Treatment of Alopecia Areata: An Australian Expert Consensus Statement

95 citations , November 2018 in “Australasian journal of dermatology”

Alopecia areata treatment varies, with no optimal method established yet.

research An Open-Label Pilot Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Tofacitinib in Moderate to Severe Patch-Type Alopecia Areata, Totalis, and Universalis

130 citations , July 2018 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Tofacitinib may help treat severe hair loss, but more research is needed.

research Alopecia Areata Profiling Shows TH1, TH2, and IL-23 Cytokine Activation Without Parallel TH17/TH22 Skewing

176 citations , November 2015 in “The journal of allergy and clinical immunology/Journal of allergy and clinical immunology/The journal of allergy and clinical immunology”

Alopecia areata involves immune activation in the scalp, suggesting treatments targeting TH1, TH2, and IL-23 pathways.

research Epidemiology and Burden of Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review

144 citations , July 2015 in “Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology”

Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune disease affecting about 2% of people, causing significant disability and often associated with mental health issues and other autoimmune conditions.