Immunological Profile of Patients with Down Syndrome and Alopecia Areata
January 2015
in “
Advanced techniques in biology & medicine
”
TLDR Down Syndrome patients with Alopecia Areata often have hypothyroidism and specific immune abnormalities.
The study evaluated the immunological profiles of 83 Down Syndrome (DS) patients, 21 with Alopecia Areata (AA) and 62 without. The average age was similar between groups, and 94.7% had free trisomy. Hypothyroidism was more common in DS patients with AA. Hemogram abnormalities were frequent, with elevated Blood Sedimentation Rate (BSR) in 71.1% and decreased CD4 levels. Immunoglobulin levels were mostly normal, but Complement C4 and C3 were decreased in 67.4% and 9.6% of patients, respectively. The presence of antiperoxidase antibody was significant in DS patients with AA, potentially linked to hypothyroidism. The study suggested further research with larger samples and HLA testing to better understand AA in DS.
