Assessment of Serum Level of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Pediatric Alopecia Areata: A Case-Control Study

This study investigated the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in 40 pediatric patients with alopecia areata (AA) compared to 40 healthy controls. Results showed that children with AA had significantly lower BDNF levels (0.99 ± 0.7 ng/ml) than controls (1.65 ± 0.9 ng/ml), with a p-value of <0.001. Lower BDNF levels were associated with increased disease severity, higher depressive symptoms, and poorer quality of life, as indicated by positive correlations between SALT scores and both CDI and CDLQI scores, and negative correlations between BDNF levels and these scores. The study suggests that BDNF could be a biomarker for neuroimmune activity and psychological distress in pediatric AA, emphasizing the need for psychological support in treatment.