Claudin-3 is a novel intestinal integrity marker in patients with alopecia areata: Correlation with the disease severity.

Abstract

The development of alopecia areata is suggested to be influenced by intestinal permeability and gut dysbiosis. Claudin-3, an essential component of tight junctions which may act as an indicator of intestinal barrier integrity. The study's objective was to evaluate the plasma concentration level of Claudin-3 in alopecia areata patients and its relationship to the severity of the condition. In this case-control study, 50 alopecia areata patients and 30 healthy age and sex controls were involved. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the concentration of claudin-3 in the blood. Patients with alopecia areata had significantly higher plasma claudin-3 concentrations than healthy controls [median (interquartile range), 7.73 ng/ml (4.49-33.7) vs. 6.14 ng/ml (4.45-15.6), p< 0.005]. Positive relations were found between claudin-3 and SALT score (r= 0.675 & p-value < 0.001). Claudin-3, a gut permeability biomarker, is elevated in alopecia areata and correlates with disease severity.