Open AccessDetection of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in nonlesional tissues of alopecia areata patients: A prove for a systemic disease
Author(s) -
Yasser Mostsfa Gohary,
Dina Sabry Abdel Fattah
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
international journal of trichology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.494
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 0974-9241
pISSN - 0974-7753
DOI - 10.4103/ijt.ijt_47_17
Subject(s) - alopecia areata , medicine , tumor necrosis factor alpha , skin biopsy , hair follicle , biopsy , necrosis , pathology , pathogenesis , systemic disease , immunohistochemistry , gastroenterology , dermatology , disease
The pathogenesis of alopecia areata (AA) remains incompletely understood. Different cytokines may play a role in AA. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) has been shown to be inhibitory to hair follicle growth in in vitro studies suggesting that it may play an important role in AA. This study was conducted to assess the presence of TNF-α in lesional and nonlesional skin of AA, to review its possible role in AA, and to show whether AA is a systemic or localized disease by comparing the level of TNF-α between lesional and nonlesional skin biopsies of the patients.