Immune-Mediated Disorders in Patients With Alopecia Areata: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

July 2025 in “ International Journal of Dermatology ”

Piotr K. Krajewski, Beata Jastrząb, Jacek C. Szepietowski, Alina Jankowska‐Konsur, David Saceda‐Corralo

alopecia areata immune-mediated disorders vitiligo systemic lupus erythematosus autoimmune thyroiditis atopic disorders

TLDR Alopecia areata patients have a higher risk of other immune-related diseases.

This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the prevalence and risk of immune-mediated comorbidities in patients with alopecia areata (AA). The study included 18 case-control studies with a total of 462,945 AA patients and 11,488,192 healthy controls. The analysis found significantly increased odds of comorbid immune-mediated diseases in AA patients, such as atopic dermatitis (OR 2.63), autoimmune thyroiditis (OR 1.57), inflammatory bowel disease (OR 1.20), systemic lupus erythematosus (OR 3.28), and vitiligo (OR 6.61). The prevalence of these comorbidities varied, with atopic disorders being the most common at 38.65%. These results highlight the strong association between AA and various immune-mediated conditions, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive screening and interdisciplinary management for AA patients.

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Research cited in this study

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