TLDR Steroids may not work well for alopecia areata because of high unoccupied receptors and low thioredoxin levels.
The study investigated why glucocorticoid (GC) steroids may not always be effective in treating alopecia areata (AA). Scalp biopsies from 15 patients with AA, male androgenetic alopecia (AGA), and normal controls were analyzed for glucocorticoid receptor (GCR) content. Results showed that patients with AA had elevated levels of unoccupied type II GCR compared to AGA and normal controls, along with decreased levels of thioredoxin (TR), a factor that activates GCR. This suggested an inhibition of cellular transcription, which could explain the variable responses to GC treatment in AA patients and why steroids might not always work effectively for hair regrowth in this condition.
391 citations
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January 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Half of people with Alopecia Areata may see hair regrowth within a year without treatment, but recovery is unpredictable.
49 citations
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April 2000 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Despite progress in treatment, the exact cause of Alopecia areata is still unknown.
51 citations
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January 1989 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Men with male-pattern baldness have more androgen receptors in their scalp's oil glands, which may contribute to hair loss.
80 citations
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November 1975 in “Acta dermato-venereologica” Large doses of glucocorticoids are not suitable for general use in treating severe alopecia areata due to inconsistent results and risks.
148 citations
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December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease causing patchy hair loss, often with other autoimmune disorders, but its exact causes are unknown.
4 citations
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November 2018 in “JAAD case reports” Alopecia areata can sometimes appear as a straight line of hair loss instead of round patches.
May 2018 in “Journal of cosmetology & trichology” Combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with prostaglandin-F eye drops can significantly regrow hair in alopecia universalis.
