A Functional Polymorphism in Interleukin-1α (IL1A) Gene Is Associated with Risk of Alopecia Areata in Chinese Populations
March 2013
in “
Gene
”
TLDR A certain genetic variation in the IL1A gene may lower the risk of a hair loss condition in Chinese people.
The study from 2013 investigated the association between a 4-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism (rs3783553) in the IL1A gene and the risk of alopecia areata (AA) in Chinese populations. It included 313 AA cases and 626 healthy controls across two independent case-control panels. The findings indicated that individuals with the ins/del and ins/ins genotypes had a significantly reduced risk of AA, with odds ratios of 0.55 and 0.47, respectively. This protective effect was more pronounced in early-onset AA patients (<30 years). The study also discovered that the rs3783553 polymorphism could affect IL-1α expression through miR-122 interaction. These results suggest that the IL1A 4-bp Indel polymorphism may be a genetic susceptibility marker for AA in Chinese populations, potentially offering insights into the molecular mechanisms of AA and future therapeutic approaches.