829 Cytotoxic T lymphocytes target henle’s layer in alopecia areata

Abstract

Autoimmune disease occurs when a specific adaptive immune response is mounted against self-antigen(s) and immune-mediated tissue damage is sustained until the self-antigen is eliminated. We recently identified immunogenic cell death via necroptosis in the hair follicle (HF) epithelium as the primary initiating mechanism in alopecia areata (AA). Here, we aimed to identify the major target cells of T cell-mediated cytotoxicity in AA, after the autoimmune response was initiated. Using the C3H/HeJ mouse model of AA, we first established a spatiotemporal map of caspase-8-driven immune-mediated apoptosis in HF epithelial cells during premature HF regression in AA.