Predictive Metagenomic Profiling, Urine Metabolomics, And Human Marker Gene Expression As An Integrated Approach To Study Alopecia Areata

April 2020 in “ Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology ”

Daniela Pinto, Francesco Maria Calabrese, Maria De Angelis, Giuseppe Celano, Giammaria Giuliani, Marco Gobbetti, Fabio Rinaldi

alopecia areata scalp microbiome urine metabolomics human gene expression microbial genera dermis layer KEGG pathways gene expression analysis urinary volatile organic metabolites prebiotics probiotics postbiotics

TLDR Alopecia areata may be linked to scalp microbiome differences, suggesting potential treatments with prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics.

The study explored the role of the scalp microbiome in alopecia areata (AA) by examining 47 subjects, revealing distinct microbial communities and metabolic functions in AA patients compared to healthy controls. Significant differences in microbial genera were found, with an increase in Propionibacterium acnes and a decrease in Staphylococcus epidermidis in AA subjects. Gene expression analysis showed higher levels of TNF-α, FAS, KCNA3, and SOD-2 in AA subjects, while NOD-2 was lower. Urine metabolomics identified 62 volatile metabolites, some elevated in AA patients. These findings suggested a complex interaction between microbial composition, gene expression, and metabolomic profiles in AA, highlighting the microbiome's potential influence on hair growth disorders.

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