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Alopecia areata: an autoimmune disease?
K J McElwee1, D J Tobin, J C Bystryn
1The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA.
Experimental Dermatology
|October 28, 1999
Summary
Alopecia areata (AA) is increasingly believed to be an autoimmune disease. New animal model evidence, including autoantibodies and disease transfer, strongly supports this autoimmune pathogenesis, requiring further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Dermatology
- Pathogenesis of Alopecia Areata
Background:
- Alopecia areata (AA) pathogenesis has been attributed to various hypotheses, including focal infection and endocrine dysfunction.
- The prevailing theory now posits AA as an autoimmune disease targeting hair follicle antigens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current and historical data on the autoimmune basis of alopecia areata.
- To evaluate the evidence supporting an autoimmune mechanism in AA pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on alopecia areata.
- Analysis of data from animal models demonstrating autoimmune characteristics.
- Examination of evidence from autoantibody identification and disease transfer studies.
Main Results:
- Identification of cross-species hair follicle-specific IgG autoantibodies.
- Successful induction of AA in animal models via skin transfer from affected to naive individuals.
- Induction of AA in human skin grafts on SCID mice using lymphocyte transfer.
Conclusions:
- Recent evidence from animal models provides fundamental support for AA as an autoimmune disease.
- Further studies are necessary to definitively establish the autoimmune nature of alopecia areata.
- The findings necessitate a shift towards understanding AA as an immune-mediated condition.