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Vitamin D deficiency in alopecia areata
Author(s) -
Aksu Cerman A.,
Sarikaya Solak S.,
Kivanc Altunay I.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/bjd.12980
Subject(s) - alopecia areata , medicine , dermatology , vitamin d deficiency , vitamin d and neurology
Summary Background Alopecia areata ( AA ) is a T cell‐mediated autoimmune disease that causes inflammation around anagen‐stage hair follicles. Insufficient levels of vitamin D have been implicated in a variety of autoimmune diseases. Previous reports have described the effects of vitamin D on hair follicles. Objectives To evaluate the status of vitamin D in patients with AA , and the relationship between vitamin D levels and disease severity. Methods A cross‐sectional study of 86 patients with AA , 44 patients with vitiligo and 58 healthy controls was conducted. The serum vitamin D levels of the study group were determined by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Results Serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25( OH )D] levels in patients with AA were significantly lower than those of the patients with vitiligo and the healthy controls ( P = 0·001 and P < 0·001, respectively). The prevalence of 25( OH )D deficiency was significantly higher in patients with AA (91%) compared with patients with vitiligo (71%) and healthy controls (33%) ( P = 0·003 and P < 0·001, respectively). Furthermore, a significant inverse correlation was found between disease severity and serum 25( OH )D level in patients with AA ( r = −0·409; P < 0·001). Conclusions Deficient serum 25( OH )D levels are present in patients with AA and inversely correlate with disease severity. Accordingly, screening patients with AA for vitamin D deficiencies seems to be of value for the possibility of supplementing these patients with vitamin D.