Open AccessHair Follicle Melanogenesis Reflected in Hair Pigmentation as a Developmental Factor in Alopecia Areata
Author(s) -
Margit Juhász,
Rosalynn R.Z. Conic,
Natasha Atanaskova Mesinkovska
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
skin appendage disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.773
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 2296-9195
pISSN - 2296-9160
DOI - 10.1159/000516301
Subject(s) - alopecia areata , hair follicle , dermatology , hair disease , vellus hair , melanin , dermal papillae , hair growth , cabello , pigmentation disorder , medicine , biology , scalp , endocrinology , physiology , genetics
The mechanism of alopecia areata (AA) is not well-elucidated, and hair follicle melanogenesis pathways are implicated as possible sources for autoantigens. After a retrospective medical record review at a single tertiary medical center, the hair color of 112 AA patients were identified and compared to a control group of 104 androgenetic alopecia patients. There were no statistically significant differences in the natural hair color prevalence between the 2 groups ( p = 0.164), and hair color was not a predictor of the alopecia type. Our results suggest hair pigmentation, determined by the eumelanin-to-pheomelanin ratio, is not a positive risk factor for AA development. We hope that our study will encourage multiple large-scale, collaborative, retrospective medical reviews to determine if our results are reproducible in diverse patient populations.