November 2025 in “DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)” This study identified elevated CD25 on secreting CD4 regulatory T cells as a genetic risk factor for androgenetic alopecia, with certain plasma proteins acting as mediators in this causal relationship.
In this study, researchers found that CD4 T cells from the skin draining lymph nodes of mice with alopecia areata can transfer the disease to recipient mice, highlighting the key role of these cells and their interaction with CD8 T cells in the disease's development.
May 2023 in “The Journal of Immunology” In this study, treatment with IL-2C to expand Tregs effectively halted hair loss progression in a murine model of alopecia areata.
April 2021 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that CD1a-restricted CD4+ T cells responsive to lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol were more frequent in the blood of atopic dermatitis patients, suggesting a potential role in the disease's Th2-mediated pathology.
September 2016 in “Journal of Dermatological Science” This research suggests that hair follicle-derived cytokines IL-7 and IL-15 are crucial for maintaining resident memory T cells in the skin, which may be relevant for diseases like cutaneous T cell lymphoma.
27 citations
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September 1992 in “The Lancet” ICL is a condition with low CD4+ T cells like AIDS but not caused by HIV, and normal CD4+ T cell counts may vary between men and women.
7 citations
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December 2016 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, researchers found that patients with alopecia areata had a significant increase in NKG2D+CD4+ T cell levels in their blood compared to healthy controls.
1 citations
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July 2025 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” IL-27 may help prevent hair loss by creating immune-suppressing cells.
October 2025 in “Science Advances” In this study, researchers demonstrated that CD4 T cells from skin-draining lymph nodes in mice with alopecia areata can transfer the disease to recipient mice, revealing a critical role for CD4 T cells in disease development and suggesting potential therapeutic targets.
June 2004 in “Annales de Dermatologie et de Vénéréologie” 178 citations
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June 1994 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that a non-scarring alopecia in C3H/HeJ mice resembles human alopecia areata and may serve as a valuable model for studying specific subtypes of the human condition.
143 citations
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January 2004 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” This review discusses the autoimmune nature of alopecia areata, potential therapeutic targets, and highlights the need for further studies on immunomodulatory treatments and genetic factors, but it reports no new clinical results.
140 citations
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March 2013 in “The journal of immunology/The Journal of immunology” This study found that IL-7 is crucial for the survival of memory regulatory T cells in the skin of mice, whereas IL-2 is essential for their initial generation but not for their maintenance.
46 citations
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November 2014 in “Journal of Cutaneous Pathology” This study describes the diverse histopathological patterns and clinical features observed in patients with folliculotropic mycosis fungoides, emphasizing the importance of accurate recognition to avoid diagnostic errors.
38 citations
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September 2004 in “Journal of Autoimmunity” Alopecia areata patients have more activated T cells in their blood, which may help in developing treatments.
37 citations
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November 2003 in “Veterinary pathology” This study showed that in C3H/HeJ mice, focal follicular inflammation starts before overt hair loss, with inflammation severity possibly reaching a threshold causing hair follicle dystrophy prior to visible hair loss.
33 citations
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June 2012 in “Journal of Crohn's and colitis” This review discusses the role of immune responses, especially Th1 cytokines, in alopecia areata pathogenesis and reports no new research findings.
33 citations
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December 2005 in “Archives of dermatology” This study presents case reports of four patients with alopecia areata or alopecia universalis, highlighting varied responses to treatments like prednisone, intralesional triamcinolone, and squaric acid dibutyl ester.
30 citations
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July 2019 in “PloS one” This study found that T-regulatory cells, specifically the FOXP3 CD39 subset, were significantly reduced in both circulation and hair follicles of alopecia areata patients compared to healthy subjects, suggesting potential therapeutic targets.
26 citations
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May 2020 in “JCI Insight” In this study, single-cell sequencing revealed clonal expansions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in murine and human alopecia areata, supporting the development of predictive models for human disease.
26 citations
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July 1992 in “International Journal of Dermatology” In this study, treating refractory alopecia universalis with low-dose cyclosporine A and prednisolone improved symptoms, with no recurring alopecia six months post-treatment and enhancements in immunologic function.
24 citations
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October 2022 in “Cell Regeneration” This study describes a new mouse model for vitiligo that mimics key clinical features such as skin depigmentation and CD8 + T cell infiltration, providing a useful tool for in-depth research and drug discovery.
24 citations
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September 2011 in “Autoimmunity” This review discusses the role of natural killer cells in the pathogenesis of blistering diseases and proposes further research on their interaction with the skin, reporting no new clinical results.
23 citations
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July 2023 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” In this study using a mouse model and human data, researchers found that CD8+ T cells are central to driving alopecia areata, while regulatory T cells offer some protection, highlighting CD8+ T cells as key targets for future therapy development.
23 citations
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January 2010 in “Journal of Medical Primatology” This study found that alopecia in captive Rhesus macaques may be linked to chronic hypersensitivity dermatitis with CD4+ cell inflammation, possibly influenced by altered housing and reduced pathogen exposure.
21 citations
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April 2019 in “Journal of cutaneous pathology” This study found a significant reduction in Treg cell frequency in alopecia areata compared to other autoimmune and non-autoimmune skin diseases using immunohistochemical staining.
21 citations
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December 2017 in “The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings/The Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings” This study suggests that statins may help treat acute alopecia areata, with animal experiments showing increased regulatory T cell populations after statin treatment in mice with the condition.
21 citations
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December 2005 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study demonstrates that T-cell responses in extensive alopecia areata scalp may be aberrantly regulated, with reduced cytokine production but activated phenotype, providing insight into the disease's immune mechanisms.
20 citations
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November 2019 in “Current Opinion in Systems Biology” This review discusses how recent studies use models and experiments to understand immune system signaling, but it reports no new clinical findings; the authors suggest strategies for improving these models.
20 citations
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November 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” This study found that IFN-γ plays a critical role in T cell activation and the pathogenesis of alopecia areata in C3H/HeJ mice.