February, 2004
Interferon-gamma in alopecia areata.
Arca E, Musabak U, Akar A, Erbil AH, Tastan HB.
Department of Dermatology, Gulhane Military Medical Faculty, School of Medicine
Etlik, 06018 Ankara, Turkey. earca@gata.edu.tr
Alopecia areata is a common type of hair loss. In clinical practice most
patients will present with reversible patchy hair loss whereas others may
develop complete baldness.
Although the etiopathogenesis of alopecia areata is
poorly understood, evidence is accumulating that it can be regarded as a T-cell
mediated tissue-restricted autoimmune disease of the hair follicle, especially
expressing the T-helper-type 1 cytokines interleukin-1beta, interleukin-2, and
interferon-gamma.
The aim of the study was to compare the serum levels of
interferon-gamma in patients with alopecia areata and the control group and also
to investigate the difference between the localized form of the disease with the
extensive forms like alopecia totalis (AT) and alopecia universalis (AU).
Forty
patients with alopecia areata and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in the
study. Nineteen patients had localized AA (LAA) and twenty-one patients had AT,
AU or AT/AU. The serum levels of interferon-y were measured using enzyme
immunoassay techniques.
The mean serum IFN-gamma level in AA patients (n = 40)
was 14.25 +/- 8.76 pg/mL (mean +/- SD), whereas that of LAA (n = 19) or
extensive (AT, AU or AT/AU) (n = 21) was 13.45 +/- 6.75 pg/mL or 14.98 +/- 10.37
pg/mL, respectively. The mean serum IFN-gamma level in controls was 9.95 +/- 2.6
pg/mL. Serum levels of IFN-gamma in patients with AA were significantly higher
than those in controls (p < 0.05).
Significant difference was observed in serum
levels of IFN-y between patients with LAA and control group (p < 0.05). Serum
levels of IFN-gamma in patients with AT, AU or AT/AU were significantly higher
than those in controls (p < 0.05).
There was no significant difference in levels
of IFN-gamma between patients with LAA and extensive group (p > 0. 05).
We
conclude that the elevated serum levels of IFN-gamma may reflect the
inflammatory symptoms in AA, especially in the extensive form and that control
of IFN-gamma production may be important to management of this disease. And also
the measurement of serum IFN-gamma in patients with AA may be useful in
discriminating those likely to progress to AU from the remaining LAA, or as a
prognostic indicator. Copyright John Libbey Eurotext 2003.
PMID: 14965793 [PubMed - in process]
 
Hair loss products and Hair loss treatments
|
