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Alopecia areata but not androgenetic alopecia is characterized by a restricted and oligoclonal T‐cell receptor‐repertoire among infiltrating lymphocytes
Author(s) -
Dressel Daniela,
Brütt Cord Henrik,
Manfras Burkhard,
Zollner Thomas Matthias,
Wunderlich Antje,
Böhm Bernhard Otto,
Boehncke WolfHenning
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of cutaneous pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1600-0560
pISSN - 0303-6987
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0560.1997.tb01571.x
Subject(s) - alopecia areata , pathogenesis , immunology , pathology , antigen , autoimmune disease , medicine , biology , disease
Although the etiology of alopecia areata is still unknown, evidence has accumulated to support an autoimmune pathogenesis for this disease. To evaluate the role of T cells in alopecia areata the T‐cell receptor VB‐repertoire was investigated in lesional skin and blood of 5 patients by means of a semiquantitative technique based on the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Three patients with androgenetic alopecia served as controls. Amplification products were screened for clonality by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis. Four of 5 patients with alopecia areata exhibited a lesional T‐cell receptor‐repertoire characterized by an almost exclusive utilization of variable regions beta2, 4, and 13. Temperature gradient gel electrophoresis revealed the oligoclonal constitution of the infiltrate. The restricted nature of the lesional T‐lymphocytic infiltrate in alopecia areata strongly suggests that an antigen‐specific T‐cell response plays an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease.