Response to Minoxidil in Severe Alopecia Areata Correlates With T Lymphocyte Stimulation

In a study involving 47 patients with severe alopecia areata, researchers found that 36 responders who experienced terminal hair regrowth after treatment with topical 5% minoxidil showed significantly increased T cell blastogenesis before treatment, which decreased to control levels following hair regrowth. In contrast, non-responders exhibited no significant differences in lymphocyte stimulation compared to controls, both before and after treatment. These findings suggested that enhanced T cell blastogenesis could predict the response to minoxidil therapy in severe alopecia areata cases.