Many studies have documented an abnormal cell-mediated immune reaction in alopecia areata (AA) 1 . The key histopatho logic feature of AA is a lymphocytic infiltrate around the lower hair follicle, which may appear in a characteristic “swarm of bees” pattern. The affected hair follicles terminate their anagen phase prematurely and regress via the induction of massive apoptosis of the lower port...

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease with skin presentations in different parts of the body. We have noted improvement in psoriasis skin manifestation in a patient with long standing psoriatic lesions of the scalp. We actively sought additional patients with scalp psoriasis and transplanted hair into their scalp into, or in close proximity, of psoriatic lesions in order to elicit a response. Meth...

OBJECTIVE To determine the influences of hair-grooming practices and environmental factors as risk factors for the acquisition of tinea capitis (TC) in children. DESIGN Case-control study comparing children with culture-proved TC with age-, sex-, and race-matched control subjects without scalp disease. SETTING A multicenter study involving 3 urban referral centers in the United States. PA...

The etiology of alopecia areata (AA), a putative autoimmune disease characterized by sudden hair loss, has remained obscure. It is not understood, how the characteristic inflammatory infiltrate that selectively attacks anagen hair follicles in AA is generated. We hypothesize that this reflects an unexplored form of autoimmunity, a cytotoxic T cell attack on rhythmically synthesized autoantigens...

Background: Significant changes in scalp, facial and body hair occur after the menopause. These can have a significant negative impact on self-esteem and are also potential markers of endocrine or metabolic diseases. Knowledge of postmenopausal hair changes is important for clinicians to distinguish between normal physiological change and those that require further medical investigation. Object...

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder ofhair follicles. We aimed to find the association between VitaminD level and AA.Method: Eligible AA patients and controls were enrolled inthis case-control study and serum samples were assessed for25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-(OH)-D3). The ...

Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) occurs primarily in African-American women and is the most common cause of scarring hair loss in this population. Since the mid 20th century, hair care practices of African-American women have been associated with CCCA, although there is developing evidence that the etiology of CCCA may be multifactorial. Clinically diagnosing CCCA may be challeng...

Discrimination has been associated with elevated cortisol as measured in saliva, blood, and urine. This study investigated the association between lifetime discrimination and hair cortisol concentrations, considered a measure of chronic stress. We recruited 180 young adults from diverse backgrounds. Participant responses to lifetime discrimination, home stress, and subjective status measures we...

BACKGROUND Diffuse alopecia areata or canities subita is a rare variant of alopecia in which hair loss is associated with regrowth of white hairs and possible lightening of the skin. Preferential loss of pigmented hair in this disorder may be related to the melanin pigment system and/or melanocytes. Acquired generalized anhidrosis can be associated with autoimmune disease, cancer, graft-vs-host...