Autophagy And Alopecia Areata: Is There A Link?

May 2026 in “ Journal of the Egyptian Womenʼs Dermatologic Society ”

Abdelaal Elkamshoushi, Nahed Elsokkary, Hajar Ibrahim, Ahmed Abdel-Bary

alopecia areata autophagy autophagy-related protein 5 ATG5 serum levels pathogenesis therapeutic target AA

TLDR Impaired autophagy may contribute to alopecia areata.

This study investigates the role of dysfunctional autophagy in alopecia areata (AA) by measuring serum levels of autophagy-related protein 5 (ATG5) in 50 AA patients compared to a control group. Results show that AA patients have significantly lower serum ATG5 levels (1494.52±164.9 ng/l) than controls (1807.47±361.3 ng/l), with the lowest levels observed in patients with very severe disease. These findings suggest that impaired autophagy may contribute to AA pathogenesis, indicating potential for autophagy stimulation as a therapeutic target, though further research is needed to clarify ATG5's exact role in AA development.

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Autophagy And Alopecia Areata: Is There A Link?

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