TLDR Higher granulysin levels in the blood are linked to more severe hair loss in alopecia areata patients, and these levels decrease after effective treatment.
The study investigated the relationship between serum granulysin levels and the severity of alopecia areata (AA) in 38 patients, using the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score before and after 6 months of tofacitinib therapy. A moderate correlation was found between SALT scores and serum granulysin levels at baseline, with higher levels in patients with alopecia totalis/universalis compared to those with patchy AA. Post-treatment, a significant decrease in serum granulysin levels was observed, which correlated with a reduction in SALT scores. The findings suggest that serum granulysin could serve as an indicator of immunological activity in AA and that tofacitinib may inhibit granulysin's role in follicle attack. The study implies that monitoring serum granulysin levels could help gauge the immunological response to therapy in AA patients.
Cited in this study
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130 citations
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April 2019 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” JAK inhibitors are effective for treating alopecia areata, with most patients seeing hair growth after treatment.
238 citations
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January 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Tofacitinib is effective and safe for severe hair loss, but full regrowth is less likely after 10 years of hair loss.
70 citations
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July 2016 in “Experimental Dermatology” A patient with alopecia areata regrew hair after taking tofacitinib and showed changes in certain blood and skin markers.
60 citations
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September 2015 in “Expert Review of Clinical Immunology” Lymphocytes, especially CD8+ T cells, play a key role in causing alopecia areata, and targeting them may lead to new treatments.
701 citations
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August 2014 in “Nature medicine” Alopecia areata can be reversed by JAK inhibitors, promoting hair regrowth.
27 citations
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May 2007 in “Archives of dermatological research” Diphencyprone treatment increases CD8 lymphocytes in the scalp, which is associated with hair regrowth in alopecia areata patients.
October 2023 in “Acta dermato-venereologica (Print)” People with severe hair loss have lower zinc levels in their blood.
1 citations
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January 2022 in “International Journal of Trichology” Tofacitinib can be effective in treating hair loss caused by alopecia areata.
4 citations
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July 2018 in “PubMed” Oral and topical tofacitinib can help regrow hair in people with severe alopecia areata.
