Gut Microbiota Is Required for the Development of Alopecia Areata

April 2019 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”

Rolando Pérez‐Lorenzo, E. Wang, Zhenpeng Dai, A.R. Abdelaziz, B. Sallee, J.C. Chen, Juan P. Estrada, Anne‐Catrin Uhlemann, Angela M. Christiano

alopecia areata gut microbiome broad-spectrum antibiotic microbial diversity T cells Treg/CD8+ ratio immune cell populations

TLDR Gut microbiota influences the development of alopecia areata.

The study investigated the role of the gut microbiome in the development of alopecia areata (AA) using the C3H/HeJ mouse model. Female mice were treated with a broad-spectrum antibiotic cocktail, which significantly protected them from hair loss. The gut microbiome of antibiotic-treated mice showed reduced microbial diversity, with distinct changes in bacterial representation, similar to findings in human AA. Antibiotic treatment also altered immune cell populations, reducing pathogenic T cells in the skin and increasing the Treg/CD8+ ratio. These findings suggested that the gut microbiome played a role in T cell priming in AA, highlighting potential therapeutic opportunities focused on restoring gut microbial balance.

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