Unveiling the Effect of Age and IgE Level on Alopecia Areata: Insights from Comparative RNAseq Analysis

The study examines the effects of age and IgE levels on alopecia areata (AA) by analyzing gene expression in scalp samples from 28 patients, including 6 pediatric and 22 adult patients. It finds that pediatric AA shows more active immune-inflammatory pathways than adult AA, with distinct gene expression profiles. Elevated IgE levels were found in 39.2% of patients, indicating a potential link to AA severity. The study emphasizes the need for age-specific treatments, as pediatric AA has unique molecular characteristics. It also highlights the role of CD8+ T cells in AA pathogenesis and notes increased immune cell infiltration in pediatric cases. The findings suggest that JAK inhibitors could be a promising treatment and stress the importance of personalized strategies based on age and allergy status.