Evaluation of Serum Levels of IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-a in Alopecia Areata Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated serum levels of IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α in alopecia areata (AA) patients by analyzing 16 studies. The results showed significantly elevated levels of IL-6 (SMD = 1.57, 95% CI 0.17 to 2.97) and TNF-α (SMD = 2.05, 95% CI 0.98 to 3.13) in AA patients compared to healthy controls. However, the difference in IL-10 levels was not significant (SMD = -0.22, 95% CI -0.95 to 0.50). These findings suggest that cytokines may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of AA, although further research is needed to clarify their exact role.