Effectiveness of Tofacitinib in Pre-Adolescent Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Case Series and Literature Review

September 2023 in “ Acta dermato-venereologica ”

Jundong Huang, Tingting Li, Zhi‐Rong Tan, Yan Tang, Ji Li, Fenfang Liu, Wei Shi

tofacitinib Alopecia Areata Janus kinase inhibitor Severity of Alopecia Tool SALT score AA JAK inhibitor

From the encyclopedia

Tofacitinib →

a JAK inhibitor for alopecia areata and other autoimmune conditions

Alopecia Areata →

autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

Studysummary This study observed that oral tofacitinib was effective and safe for treating alopecia areata in paediatric patients, with 82% of pre-adolescent participants experiencing hair regrowth and 64% showing significant improvement in their hair loss severity scores.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The retrospective study by Jundong Huang and colleagues evaluated the efficacy of the Janus kinase inhibitor tofacitinib in treating pre-adolescent Alopecia Areata (AA) patients. The study involved 11 patients, with 82% (9/11) experiencing hair regrowth and 64% (7/11) showing over 50% improvement in Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) scores. The study also reviewed literature involving 31 children ≤12 years old with AA who didn't respond to previous treatments. In this group, 87% (27/31) showed significant responses based on SALT score changes. The research concluded that oral tofacitinib is a safe and effective treatment for pediatric AA, especially for children who haven't responded to traditional treatments or aren't suitable for them.

View this study on medicaljournalssweden.se →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

17 / 17 results

research An Overview of JAK/STAT Pathways and JAK Inhibition in Alopecia Areata

40 citations , August 2022 in “Frontiers in immunology”

This review discusses the potential of JAK inhibitors as a promising treatment strategy for alopecia areata, highlighting their mechanism and recent FDA approval based on clinical trial efficacy.

research Clinical Response to Oral Tofacitinib in Pediatric Patients With Alopecia Areata

10 citations , August 2022 in “JAAD Case Reports”

This research abstract describes alopecia areata as an autoimmune disease causing hair loss due to an inflammatory response mediated by the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. The condition, which affects young people disproportionately, lacks a cure and entails significant psychosocial challenges, despite varied treatment attempts.

research Oral Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata in Pediatric Patients

13 citations , November 2021 in “Pediatric Dermatology”

This study found that oral tofacitinib was effective and well tolerated for treating alopecia areata in most pediatric patients, with nearly 73% experiencing hair regrowth.

research Treatment of Pediatric Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review

48 citations , April 2021 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This study found that topical corticosteroids are the most supported first-line treatment for pediatric alopecia areata, with contact immunotherapy as the next best option.

research Treatment of Alopecia Areata in Pre-Adolescent Children with Oral Tofacitinib: A Retrospective Study

26 citations , October 2020 in “Pediatric Dermatology”

This study found that oral tofacitinib led to clinically significant improvement in alopecia areata severity scores among pre-adolescents, though results varied and further evaluation in clinical trials is needed.

Utility of Azathioprine, Methotrexate, and Cyclosporine as Steroid-Sparing Agents in Chronic Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Study of Continuation Rates in 138 Patients

research Utility of Azathioprine, Methotrexate, and Cyclosporine as Steroid-Sparing Agents in Chronic Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Study of Continuation Rates in 138 Patients

12 citations , August 2020 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

This study found that most chronic alopecia areata patients treated with azathioprine, methotrexate, or cyclosporine continued treatment for at least 12 months, often requiring concurrent low-dose prednisolone.

research Benefit and Risk Profile of Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

54 citations , September 2019 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

This study found that tofacitinib shows reasonable effectiveness for treating alopecia areata with mild adverse effects, although more large-scale randomized trials are needed to fully assess its safety and efficacy.

research Tofacitinib Therapy for Children with Severe Alopecia Areata

39 citations , January 2019 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

In this study, three children with severe alopecia treated with systemic tofacitinib showed significant hair regrowth, suggesting it may be a potential option for those unresponsive to conventional therapy.

research Treatment of Alopecia Areata: An Australian Expert Consensus Statement

95 citations , November 2018 in “Australasian journal of dermatology”

This consensus statement outlines a treatment algorithm for alopecia areata, discussing when to consider systemic treatment and how to assess outcomes, without providing new clinical results.

research Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata in Preadolescent Children

40 citations , September 2018 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This letter discusses the emerging use of Janus kinase inhibitors, specifically oral tofacitinib, for treating alopecia areata in children, but reports no new clinical findings.

research An Excellent Response to Tofacitinib in a Pediatric Alopecia Patient: A Case Report and Review

5 citations , August 2018 in “PubMed”

This case report documented successful full hair regrowth in an 8-year-old with alopecia universalis after oral tofacitinib treatment, but mild headaches led to discontinuation.

$Oral Tofacitinib Monotherapy in Korean Patients with Refractory Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata: A Case Series$

research Oral Tofacitinib Monotherapy in Korean Patients with Refractory Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata: A Case Series

44 citations , October 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

In this study, tofacitinib monotherapy was effective in achieving hair regrowth in over half of Korean patients with moderate-to-severe and refractory alopecia areata, though treatment discontinuation typically led to hair loss recurrence.

Experience with Oral Tofacitinib in 8 Adolescent Patients with Alopecia Universalis