Correlation Between Serum Granulysin Level and Clinical Activity in Patients with Alopecia Areata Before and After Tofacitinib Therapy

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.