Monitoring of immune and inflammatory indicators crucial for alopecia areata diagnosis: Study

China: A recent study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology has stated that although the etiopathogenesis of alopecia areata (AA) is not clear but monitoring the levels of T3, T4, thyroid antibodies (TPOAbs), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and 25 (OH)D is crucial in alopecia areata cases. 

Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune disorder that often results in unpredictable hair loss. It affects roughly 6.8 million people in the United States. Yamei Gao, Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China, and colleagues aimed to evaluate several parameters related to autoimmunity and inflammation in AA patients and to evaluate their association with this disease.

The study included a total of 672 eligible AA patients and 580 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals who were treated at a third-class hospital in Hefei from January 2016 to May 2020. Data for serum C-reactive protein (CRP), 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D), T3, T4, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid antibodies (TPOAbs and TGAbs), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), complements (C3, C4), and several immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, and IgG) were collected for this study. 

The results of the study were found to be

• Regarding autoimmune-related functional indicators, there were no statistically significant differences found between TSH, TGAbs, C3, C4, IgA, IgM, and IgG levels between AA patients and healthy controls.

• Only T3, T4, TPOAbs, and ANA values were significantly abnormal in the AA group compared with the healthy individuals.

• In addition, the mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was significantly lower in the patient group than that in the control group, and serum CRP was significantly increased.

Gao and the team concluded that "Although the etiopathogenesis of AA is not clear, the importance of monitoring the levels of T3, T4, TPOAbs, ANA, and 25 (OH)D in AA cases is indispensable." 

Reference:

The study titled, "Evaluation of several immune and inflammatory indicators and their association with alopecia areata," is published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

DOI: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jocd.14504