Tobin Desmond J, Gardner Sarah H, Lindsey Nigel J, Hoffmann Rolf, Happle Rudolf, Freyschmidt-Paul Pia
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, England.
Eur J Dermatol. 2002 Jul-Aug;12(4):327-34.
Alopecia areata (AA) is a relatively common reversible hair loss disorder usually manifesting as patchy areas of complete hair loss on the scalp and other body parts that can progress to complete loss of all body hair. This condition is now generally assumed to be an autoimmune disease with the hair follicle (HF) as the principal target tissue. AA may be passively transferred by T cells and there is some evidence that serum IgG may also disturb hair cycling. Here, we examine whether the status of anti-HF antibody reactivity is altered during hair regrowth associated with topical immunotherapy using the contact sensitizer diphencyprone. Eleven patients with severe AA of the scalp were treated with diphencyprone on one side of the scalp and serum was obtained from each patient before the start of therapy, after unilateral hair regrowth, during continuing hair regrowth and in some cases after complete and sustained regrowth. The presence and titer of circulating antibodies to HF was assessed by indirect immunofluorescence and immunoblotting analysis. A striking reduction was detected in both the titer and range of HF components/antigens targeted by anti-hair follicle IgG antibodies in those patients that exhibited complete and sustained hair regrowth after DCP-treatment. By contrast, unilateral hair regrowth was associated with no change, or even an increase, in anti-HF antibody titer and reactivity. Therefore we can conclude that the down-regulation of antibody reactivity is likely to be a result rather than the cause of hair regrowth induction by topical immunotherapy. As this immunotherapy is associated with a reduction in the titer/pattern of anti-HF antibodies, these may hold the key to the identity of the HF antigen targets in AA. Moreover, the presence/titer of anti-HF antibodies may be a marker of clinical disease activity or opportunity for spontaneous regrowth.
斑秃（AA）是一种相对常见的可逆性脱发疾病，通常表现为头皮和身体其他部位出现片状完全脱发区域，可进展为全身毛发完全脱落。目前普遍认为这种疾病是一种自身免疫性疾病，毛囊（HF）是主要的靶组织。AA可由T细胞被动转移，并且有证据表明血清IgG也可能干扰毛发生长周期。在此，我们研究了使用接触致敏剂二苯环丙烯酮进行局部免疫治疗后，在毛发生长过程中抗HF抗体反应性的状态是否发生改变。11例重度头皮AA患者在头皮一侧使用二苯环丙烯酮治疗，在治疗开始前、单侧毛发生长后、持续毛发生长期间以及部分病例在完全持续毛发生长后，从每位患者采集血清。通过间接免疫荧光和免疫印迹分析评估循环抗HF抗体的存在和滴度。在接受二苯环丙烯酮治疗后出现完全持续毛发生长的患者中，抗毛囊IgG抗体靶向的HF成分/抗原的滴度和范围均显著降低。相比之下，单侧毛发生长与抗HF抗体滴度和反应性无变化甚至增加有关。因此我们可以得出结论，抗体反应性的下调可能是局部免疫治疗诱导毛发生长的结果而非原因。由于这种免疫治疗与抗HF抗体的滴度/模式降低有关，这些抗体可能是AA中HF抗原靶点身份的关键。此外，抗HF抗体的存在/滴度可能是临床疾病活动或自发再生机会的标志物。
