Serum Dickkopf-1 Level in Patients of Cicatricial and Non-Cicatricial Alopecia
October 2022
in “
Benha Journal of Applied Sciences
”
TLDR People with non-scarring hair loss have higher levels of DKK-1, a protein linked to hair growth, than those with scarring hair loss or no hair loss.
The study "Serum Dicckopf-1 Level in Patients of Cicatricial and Non- Cicatricial Alopecia" conducted a prospective case-control study with 60 patients with cicatricial alopecia, 60 patients with non-cicatricial alopecia, and 20 healthy subjects as a control group. The research aimed to evaluate the serum levels of DKK-1, a Wnt antagonist involved in hair growth, in these patients. The results showed a significant difference in serum DKK-1 levels among the groups, with the non-cicatricial group having significantly higher DKK-1 levels (median = 14.6) than the cicatricial group (median = 9.85) and the control group (median = 4.93). The study concluded that DKK-1 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of alopecia, with higher serum DKK-1 levels in patients with hair loss disorders compared to controls. Serum DKK-1 was a significant predictor for non-cicatricial alopecia but not for cicatricial alopecia.