Increased Proliferation of Epidermal Gamma Delta T Cells and Expression of the Transmembrane Protein, BST2, in Alopecia Areata

This study investigates the role of resident epidermal γδ T cells in alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss. Researchers found that the transmembrane protein BST2 is upregulated in unaffected skin of mice with active alopecia areata, suggesting it may precede hair follicle immune privilege loss. Additionally, an increase in epidermal γδ T cell number was observed in affected skin. These findings indicate that BST2 expression and γδ T cell proliferation could be early indicators of disease progression. The study was supported by NIH and NSF grants.