Department of Dermatology, Integrated Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Dermatology. 2013;226(4):333-6. doi: 10.1159/000350933. Epub 2013 Jul 4.
The precise pathogenesis of alopecia areata remains unknown, although this disease seems to be triggered by helper T cell infiltration in hair follicles. Recent studies of psoriasis and vitiligo have demonstrated the involvement of Th17 cells. Psoriasis and vitiligo occasionally develop concomitantly or inversely in patients with alopecia areata.
The aim of this study was to determine whether Th17 cells are present in the affected lesions of alopecia areata.
We performed immunofluorescent staining of representative immunocompetent cells that had infiltrated into the skin of the scalp in 4 individuals with alopecia areata (single patchy alopecia areata, multiple patchy alopecia areata, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis).
We found the infiltration of CD4(+)IL-17A(+) Th17 cells in the dermis, particularly around hair follicles, in all 4 cases.
These findings suggest the possibility that alopecia areata is induced by a Th17 cell-associated autoimmune mechanism.
尽管斑秃的精确发病机制尚不清楚，但这种疾病似乎是由辅助性 T 细胞在毛囊中的浸润引发的。最近对银屑病和白癜风的研究表明 Th17 细胞的参与。斑秃患者的银屑病和白癜风偶尔会同时或相反地发生。
本研究旨在确定 Th17 细胞是否存在于斑秃的病变部位。
我们对 4 例斑秃（单发斑状斑秃、多发斑状斑秃、全秃和普秃）患者头皮皮肤中浸润的代表性免疫细胞进行免疫荧光染色。
我们发现所有 4 例患者的真皮中均有 CD4+IL-17A+Th17 细胞浸润，特别是在毛囊周围。
这些发现提示斑秃可能是由 Th17 细胞相关的自身免疫机制引起的。
