Alopecia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Alopecia, including details on hair loss, baldness, treatment, causes, prevention.

Alopecia universalis associated with impaired interleukin-4 production and low serum IgE level.

Tokura Y, Sugita K, Kabashima K, Ito T, Yagi H

Department of Dermatology at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan. tokura@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp

A 17-year-old female presented with alopecia universalis, which appeared following widespread eczematous dermatitis. An immunohistochemical study demonstrated that CD8(+) T cells infiltrated into hair follicles with satellite cell necrosis of keratinocytes. The precedence of the autosensitization dermatitis suggested that T cells concerned with the eczematous reaction also attacked hair follicles, or alternatively, that those T cells sequentially activated another population of cytotoxic T cells. We found that she had a continuously low level of serum IgE (<1 units/ml), and this abnormality urged us to investigate interleukin (IL)-4 production of T cells. Although the patient had a normal number of CD4(+) T cells, the production of IL-4, but not IL-10, was profoundly impaired as assessed by a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis, suggesting the possible relationship between the baldness and IL-4 reduction. The autoimmune hair loss might occur via activation of cytotoxic T cells and Th(1) cells as a result of a relief from IL-4 control.

Published 19 July 2007 in J Am Acad Dermatol, 57(2): S22-5.
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