Reduced Level of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Chronic/Relapsing Alopecia Areata

The study, conducted from October 2010 to March 2012, included 156 patients with chronic relapsing/remitting Alopecia Areata (AA) and 148 control individuals. It found that patients with AA had a significantly higher rate of vitamin D deficiency, with 42.4% having levels below 20 ng/ml, compared to 29.5% in the control group. Additionally, there was a significant increase in Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) levels among the AA patients, indicating a true deficiency in vitamin D. No correlation was found between vitamin D and DHEA-S levels, suggesting they are independent risk factors for AA. The study concluded that vitamin D deficiency is more common in patients with chronic relapsing/remitting AA, and there is an inverse correlation between vitamin D and PTH levels, which may have implications for the treatment of AA.