Evaluation of Several Immune and Inflammatory Indicators and Their Association with Alopecia Areata

September 2021 in “ Journal of cosmetic dermatology ”

Yamei Gao, Shaohu Huo, Minghui Sun, Chenchen Zhang, Jing Wang, Jing Gao, Na Wang, Yongmei Lv

TLDR People with alopecia areata often have abnormal thyroid hormones, thyroid antibodies, antinuclear antibodies, low vitamin D, and high C-reactive protein levels.

The study "Evaluation of several immune and inflammatory indicators and their association with alopecia areata" included 672 alopecia areata (AA) patients and 580 healthy individuals. The researchers found no significant differences in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid antibodies (TGAbs), complements (C3, C4), and immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, and IgG) levels between AA patients and healthy controls. However, T3, T4, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAbs), and antinuclear antibodies (ANA) values were significantly abnormal in the AA group compared to the healthy individuals. Additionally, the mean serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration was significantly lower in the patient group than in the control group, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) was significantly increased. The study concluded that monitoring the levels of T3, T4, TPOAbs, ANA, and 25 (OH)D in AA cases is crucial, even though the exact cause of AA is not clear.

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