Association Between Stress and Bilateral Symmetrical Alopecia in Free-Ranging Formosan Macaques in Mt. Longevity, Taiwan

May 2021 in “ Scientific Reports ”

Chen‐Chih Chen, Ai‐Mei Chang, Ming-shan Tsai, Yen‐Hua Huang, Kurtis Jai‐Chyi Pei, Yi-Chia Li

bilateral symmetrical alopecia Formosan macaques stress fecal glucocorticoid metabolite 11ß-hydroxyetiocholanolone follicular densities anagen catagen telogen histopathological evaluations skin biopsies alopecia FGM hair follicle density hair growth phases

Studysummary In this study, researchers found that stress likely triggers symmetrical alopecia in Formosan macaques in Mt. Longevity, Taiwan, with higher stress hormone levels associated with the condition. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The study explored the relationship between stress and bilateral symmetrical alopecia in Formosan macaques, using a sample size of 41 individuals (10 with alopecia and 31 without). Researchers measured fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations, specifically 11ß-hydroxyetiocholanolone, to assess stress levels and performed histopathological evaluations of skin biopsies. They found that macaques with alopecia had significantly higher FGM concentrations (2.02 µg/g) compared to those without (1.41 µg/g), and also displayed lower follicular densities and anagen to catagen/telogen ratios. The study concluded that stress is likely a primary factor in the development of alopecia in these macaques and that the health and welfare of the population could be affected, with potential implications for zoonosis risk due to human-macaque interactions.

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