TLDR Alopecia areata involves both innate and adaptive immunity, with specific genes linked to the disease.
The genome-wide association study on alopecia areata (AA) involved 1,054 cases and 3,278 controls, identifying 139 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with the disease. The study implicated both innate and adaptive immunity in AA's pathogenesis, highlighting the role of regulatory T cells, CTLA4, IL-2/IL-21, IL-2RA, and the HLA region. A novel finding was the strong association with the ULBP gene cluster on chromosome 6q25.1, which encodes ligands for the natural killer cell receptor NKG2D. ULBP3 expression was significantly upregulated in the hair follicle dermal sheath of AA patients, suggesting that CD8+NKG2D+ cytotoxic T cells might mediate autoimmune destruction in AA. The research provided insights into the genetic underpinnings of AA, linking it to shared autoimmune pathways and suggesting a new disease mechanism involving ULBP ligand upregulation.
253 citations
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December 2007 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Hair follicles prevent NK cell attacks to avoid hair loss.
286 citations
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August 2007 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation” Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease where T cells attack hair follicles.
143 citations
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January 2007 in “The American Journal of Human Genetics” Certain genes on chromosomes 6, 10, 16, and 18 may increase the risk of alopecia areata.
6 citations
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December 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Alopecia areata involves complex immune and genetic factors, with potential treatment targets identified, but more research is needed.
27 citations
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March 2018 in “Allergy and asthma proceedings” People with alopecia areata often have higher rates of allergies and autoimmune diseases.
15 citations
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December 2018 in “International journal of environmental research and public health/International journal of environmental research and public health” EGCG may help treat alopecia areata by blocking certain immune responses and reducing specific harmful immune cells.
40 citations
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October 2012 in “Dermatologic clinics” More research is needed to understand the genetic causes of Alopecia areata to develop better treatments.
January 2012 in “Elsevier eBooks” New treatments for skin and hair repair show promise, but further improvements are needed.
