Evaluation of the profile of alopecia areata and the prevalence of thyroid function test abnormalities and serum autoantibodies in Iranian patients.

Hassan Seyrafi,Hamed Abbasi,Maryam Akhiani,Sahar Mirpour,Ali Gholamrezanezhad

doi:10.1186/1471-5945-5-11

Hassan Seyrafi, Hamed Abbasi + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-5945-5-11

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Journal: BMC dermatology	Publication Date: Oct 31, 2005
Citations: 82	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

BackgroundThe study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of thyroid function abnormalities in patients with alopecia areata (AA) and its association with other autoimmune diseases and various autoimmune antibodies.MethodWe retrospectively analyzed medical records of 123 patients with AA. The main site of involvement, pattern, and extent of alopecia as well as presence of the similar disease in first-degree family members and serologic status of patients were recorded.ResultsParticipating in the study were 57 males and 66 females (6 to 59 years old). In the majority of patients (69.9%) the disease was manifested in the first two decades of life. Patients with family members having alopecia were recorded in 24.4%. Thyroid function abnormalities were found in 8.9% of patients. Positive autoimmune antibodies were associated with AA in 51.4% of patients with no significant association between the severity and duration of disease and presence of these antibodies.ConclusionThe incidence of positive auto-immune antibodies in Iranian patients is higher than previous reports. Concerning the female:male ratio, thyroid function tests and the prevalence of alopecia in first-degree relatives, our results are compatible with previous data obtained from different ethnic populations. Previous reports documented that a greater severity and longer duration of AA were seen in the early onset forms; however our result are relatively different which could be explained by differences in genetic factors.

Highlights

The study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of thyroid function abnormalities in patients with alopecia areata (AA) and its association with other autoimmune diseases and various autoimmune antibodies
The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequency of thyroid function abnormalities, antithyroid auto-antibodies and few other well-known autoimmune antibodies [antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-smooth muscle antibody (SMA), anti-parietal cell antibody (PCA), anti-thyroglobulin antibodies] in Iranian patients affected by AA
A total of 123 patients with Alopecia disorders, including 57 (46.3%) males and 66 (53.7%) females were entered in our analysis

Summary

Introduction

The study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of thyroid function abnormalities in patients with alopecia areata (AA) and its association with other autoimmune diseases and various autoimmune antibodies. Many different pathogenic causes have been proposed, the determination of the exact underlying etiology of AA is extremely problematic These difficulties are in part due to variable extent of the disease and the heterogonous and poorly defined nature of the patients studied. The association of AA with other auto-immune processes, such as auto-immune thyroiditis and diabetes mellitus has been widely reported and has been considered as a potent indicator of the contribution of auto-immunity in the pathogenesis of the AA [5] All these evidences suggest that the hair can be considered a target organ for autoimmune processes, presence of remarkable data concerning the contribution of psychological, environmental and genetic predisposing factors make it difficult to determine the exact cause of the disorder

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