Melan-A Positive Cells Significantly Expressed in Immune-Targeted Follicles of Alopecia Areata

August 2023 in “ Research Square (Research Square) ”

Sherif Awad, Amal T. Abdel‐Rahman, Keroles Nageh, Manal Gabril

alopecia areata Melan-A melanocytic marker hair follicles immune mononuclear infiltrates melanocytes antigenic epitope autoimmune response pathogenesis AA immune cells white hair regrowth

Studysummary In this study, researchers observed that Melan A, a melanocytic marker, was significantly expressed in hair follicles of alopecia areata patients and correlated with immune infiltrates, suggesting melanocytes might contribute to the autoimmune response in this condition. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The study on 16 alopecia areata (AA) patients found that Melan-A, a melanocytic marker, is significantly expressed in 50 out of 82 examined hair follicles, particularly in the lower follicular segment. This expression correlates with immune mononuclear infiltrates, suggesting that melanocytes may carry the antigenic epitope necessary to trigger the autoimmune response in AA. This could explain why only white hair regrows in some cases, supporting the theory that melanocytes play a crucial role in AA's pathogenesis and highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets.

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research Alopecia Areata: A Review of Disease Pathogenesis

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research Alopecia Areata Is Driven by Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes and Is Reversed by JAK Inhibition

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research Patchy Alopecia Areata Sparing Gray Hairs: A Case Series

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research Melanocytes: A Possible Autoimmune Target in Alopecia Areata

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