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.

View this study on onlinelibrary.wiley.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

13 / 13 results

Efficacy and Safety of Topical Calcipotriol 0.005% Versus Topical Clobetasol 0.05% in the Management of Alopecia Areata: An Intrasubject Pilot Study

research Efficacy and Safety of Topical Calcipotriol 0.005% Versus Topical Clobetasol 0.05% in the Management of Alopecia Areata: An Intrasubject Pilot Study

10 citations , April 2020 in “Dermatology and therapy”

Calcipotriol works almost as well as clobetasol for mild to moderate alopecia areata with fewer side effects.

research Alopecia Areata Predictive Score: A New Trichoscopy-Based Tool to Predict Treatment Outcome in Patients with Patchy Alopecia Areata

19 citations , July 2019 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology”

A new tool can predict hair regrowth in patchy alopecia areata patients.

research Study on Serum Vitamin D in Alopecia Areata Patients

5 citations , April 2019 in “Journal of Nepal Health Research Council”

People with Alopecia areata often have lower vitamin D levels, which may be linked to the severity of their condition.

research Serum Vitamin D Levels and Alopecia Areata: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study from North India

20 citations , January 2019 in “International journal of trichology”

People with Alopecia areata often have lower Vitamin D levels, which might affect the severity of their condition.

research An Investigation of Vitamin D Status in Alopecia Areata

37 citations , June 2018 in “Clinical and Experimental Medicine”

People with alopecia areata often have lower vitamin D levels and more inflammation, suggesting vitamin D might be involved in the condition.

research Alopecia Areata: A Review of Disease Pathogenesis

191 citations , May 2018 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

Alopecia areata is likely an autoimmune disease with unclear triggers, involving various immune cells and molecules, and currently has no cure.

research Correlation of Vitamin D and Vitamin D Receptor Expression in Patients with Alopecia Areata: A Clinical Paradigm

29 citations , December 2017 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

People with alopecia areata often have lower vitamin D levels, which are linked to more severe and longer-lasting hair loss, but vitamin D receptor levels in the skin don't show the same pattern and don't predict treatment success.

research Alopecia Areata: Overview and Insights from January 2018

290 citations , December 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition causing hair loss, influenced by genetics, stress, and diet, and may be prevented by a high soy oil diet.

research Serum Vitamin D Level Is Related to Disease Severity in Pediatric Alopecia Areata

28 citations , April 2017 in “Journal of cosmetic dermatology”

Low vitamin D can worsen pediatric alopecia areata.

research Understanding Autoimmunity of Vitiligo and Alopecia Areata

74 citations , May 2016 in “Current opinion in pediatrics, with evaluated MEDLINE/Current opinion in pediatrics”

Both vitiligo and alopecia areata involve an immune response triggered by stress and specific genes, with treatments targeting this pathway showing potential.

research Organ Specificity in Autoimmune Diseases: Thyroid and Islet Autoimmunity in Alopecia Areata

32 citations , March 2015 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism”

Alopecia areata is linked to thyroid autoimmunity but not type 1 diabetes.

research Vitamin D Deficiency in Alopecia Areata

105 citations , March 2014 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

Alopecia areata patients often have low vitamin D levels, suggesting they might benefit from vitamin D supplements.

research Alopecia Areata Update

391 citations , January 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Half of people with Alopecia Areata may see hair regrowth within a year without treatment, but recovery is unpredictable.

Related Research

3 / 3 results

research Alopecia Areata: A Multifactorial Autoimmune Condition

148 citations , December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity”

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.

research Linear Alopecia Areata

4 citations , November 2018 in “JAAD case reports”

Alopecia areata can sometimes appear as a straight line of hair loss instead of round patches.

research Treating Resistant Cases of Alopecia Universalis

May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology”

Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.