Murine Cytomegalovirus Is Not Associated With Alopecia Areata in C3H/HeJ Mice

The study investigated the potential association between murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection and alopecia areata (AA) in C3H/HeJ mice. Thirty mice, 25 of which exhibited AA, were tested for MCMV DNA using PCR techniques and for antibodies against various pathogens using ELISA. All tests returned negative results for MCMV and other pathogens, and no histologic lesions indicative of active MCMV infection were observed. The findings suggested that MCMV was not associated with AA in these mice, indicating that MCMV is unlikely to be a natural trigger for AA in this model. The study concluded that other factors, possibly genetic or environmental, might be responsible for AA in both mice and humans.