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Hair loss due to alopecia areata
Curr Opin Pediatr 2009;21:475
Hair loss due to alopecia areata.
Kos L, Conlon J.
Edited for bllog
Alopecia areata-associated hair loss is a common autoimmune disease. Although alopecia areata often results in significant patient distress, effective treatment is lacking. New potential susceptibility loci have been implicated, but the strongest evidence points to some class II leukocyte antigen alleles. There is evidence for the collapse of hair follicle immune privilege as a key step. There is also evidence for stress as a contributing factor in the development of alopecia areata. Few treatments have been well evaluated. Although multiple susceptibility loci have been implicated, the genetics remains uncertain. The role of any potential environmental contributors is also unclear. Good evidence for efficacy of current treatment for hair loss in alopecia areata is lacking.