Evaluation of Serum Toll-Like Receptor 4, Interferon Gamma, and Interleukin-17 Levels in Iraqi Patients with Alopecia Areata

March 2026 in “ European journal of ecology, biology and agriculture. ”

Rawaa Najim Alkhamessi, Bushra Esam, Sanan Thaer Abdalwahab

alopecia areata Toll-Like Receptor 4 interferon gamma interleukin-17 innate immune response adaptive immune response immunomodulatory therapies

TLDR Patients with alopecia areata have higher levels of certain immune markers, suggesting new treatment targets.

The study involving 70 Iraqi patients with alopecia areata and 50 controls found significantly higher serum levels of Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukin-17 (IL-17) in patients compared to controls, indicating the involvement of both innate and adaptive immune responses in the disease's pathogenesis. These elevated biomarkers, which showed no significant association with age or gender, suggest potential targets for future immunomodulatory therapies.

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