Study of Skin Microbiome in Patients With Alopecia Areata: Case Control Study

This study investigated the skin microbiome in 50 Egyptian subjects, comprising 25 patients with alopecia areata (AA) and 25 healthy controls. The research focused on the gene expression of Staphylococcus epidermidis. Results indicated no significant difference in Staphylococcus epidermidis gene expression between AA patients and healthy controls. However, a statistically significant negative correlation was found between the relative gene expression of Staphylococcus epidermidis and the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score, suggesting that imbalances in skin microorganisms may influence the severity of alopecia areata. Quantifying Staphylococcus epidermidis gene expression could potentially help assess AA severity.