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Dermatology and Therapy Oct 2020To investigate the associations of alopecia areata (AA) with serum vitamin D and calcium levels. (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
To investigate the associations of alopecia areata (AA) with serum vitamin D and calcium levels.
METHODS
A systematic review of all relevant articles published up to February 2020 in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted. Primary endpoints were serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and vitamin D deficiency, and the secondary endpoint was serum calcium level. Odds ratio (OR) and standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% CI across studies were analyzed.
RESULTS
Data on 1585 patients with AA and 1114 controls from 16 case-control studies and three cross-sectional studies were included in this meta-analysis. A pooled meta-analysis was conducted using the random-effects model because of inter-study heterogeneity (vitamin D level, I = 87.90%; vitamin D deficiency, I = 81.10%; serum calcium level, I = 83.80%). A combined analysis revealed that patients with AA had significantly lower mean serum 25(OH)D level compared with control (WMD - 9.08, 95% CI - 11.65, - 6.50, p < 0.001), and were more likely to have vitamin D deficiency (OR 4.14, 95% CI 2.34, 7.35, p < 0.001). However, the pooled analysis revealed that patients with AA did not have significantly lower serum calcium levels compared with control (WMD - 0.17, 95% CI - 0.40, 0.06, p = 0.143). Subgroup analysis suggested that matched control, mean age, and country might contribute to the heterogeneity of serum vitamin D level, while study design, matched control, and country might contribute to the heterogeneity of vitamin D deficiency.
CONCLUSION
Deficiency of serum 25(OH)D level, rather than calcium level, was present in patients with AA. Screening for vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D supplementation may be beneficial in the treatment of patients with AA.
PubMed: 32772238
DOI: 10.1007/s13555-020-00433-4 -
Journal of the American Academy of... Jul 2021Alopecia areata (AA) is an immune-mediated disease resulting in nonscarring hair loss. Systematic reviews on the psychosocial and psychiatric comorbidities,...
BACKGROUND
Alopecia areata (AA) is an immune-mediated disease resulting in nonscarring hair loss. Systematic reviews on the psychosocial and psychiatric comorbidities, health-related quality of life, and interventions targeting psychosocial well-being are limited.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a systematic review of the psychosocial comorbidities, health-related quality of life, and treatment options targeting psychosocial well-being in adult and pediatric AA patients.
METHODS
A systematic review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines within the PubMed database. Specific search terms included, but were not limited to, alopecia areata, psychosocial, psychiatry, and quality of life. Studies were then evaluated for their design and categorized into corresponding levels of evidence according to the guidelines adapted from the Oxford Center for Evidence Based Medicine.
FINDINGS
Seventy-three reports met inclusion criteria, involving approximately 414,319 unique participants. AA patients were found to have psychiatric comorbidities, particularly anxiety and depression. Health-related quality of life is reduced in AA patients, but data on pediatric AA quality of life are limited. Psychotherapy is often recommended as adjuvant treatment.
CONCLUSION
AA has substantial psychosocial impact on patients and results in reduced health-related quality of life. Addressing this should be an active part of treatment.
Topics: Alopecia Areata; Anxiety; Child; Child Behavior Disorders; Comorbidity; Depression; Humans; Mental Disorders; Quality of Life; Suicide
PubMed: 32561373
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.06.047 -
Dermatology and Therapy Jun 2020Cyclosporine is commonly used in treatment for alopecia areata. It can be administered as a monotherapy or in combination with systemic corticosteroids, with various... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Cyclosporine is commonly used in treatment for alopecia areata. It can be administered as a monotherapy or in combination with systemic corticosteroids, with various outcomes.
METHODS
Efficacy of cyclosporine with and without systemic corticosteroids for alopecia areata was evaluated by a systematic review. Cochrane, EBSCOhost, Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched. Only studies published before January 2020 were included.
RESULTS
A total of 2104 studies were initially examined, of which 14 were eligible for the systematic review. Among 340 reported cases, 213 had focal, multifocal or ophiasis form of alopecia areata, 60 were diagnosed with alopecia totalis and 67 with alopecia universalis. The mean response rate in the whole group of patients at the end of treatment was 65.00% (221/340; range 25-100%). Hair regrowth rate was higher in the group with cases of alopecia areata limited to scalp (124/165; mean 75.15%; range 40-100%) than in the cases with alopecia totalis (30/46; mean 65.22%; range 25-100%) or alopecia universalis (24/52; mean 46.15%; range 25-100%). The combined therapy with systemic corticosteroids was superior to the monotherapy (152/219; mean 69.41%; 0-80% vs. 69/121; mean 57.02%; range 6.67-100%) and had a lower recurrence rate (39/108; mean 36.11% vs. 34/46; mean 73.91%, respectively). The combined treatment with methylprednisolone was significantly more effective when compared to the cyclosporine monotherapy (124/183; mean 67.76%; range 0-80% vs. 69/121; mean 57.02%; range 6.67-100%). The mean time of treatment was 6.75 months (range 2-36).
LIMITATIONS
Limitations of our study were the retrospective character of included studies, differences in doses of prescribed drugs, and duration of the treatment and follow-up times.
CONCLUSION
Cyclosporine in combination with oral systemic corticosteroids is more effective than in monotherapy for severe alopecia areata.
PubMed: 32270396
DOI: 10.1007/s13555-020-00370-2 -
Skin Appendage Disorders Nov 2019There are many treatments available for alopecia areata; however, none are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Thus, there is clinician benefit in efficacy...
BACKGROUND
There are many treatments available for alopecia areata; however, none are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Thus, there is clinician benefit in efficacy comparison.
METHODS
A network meta-analysis was used to create direct and indirect comparisons of alopecia areata studies in addition to an inconsistency analysis, risk of bias, and quality of evidence assessment.
RESULTS
For mild disease, intralesional corticosteroids were ranked the most likely to produce a response at 78.9% according to SUCRA (surface under the cumulative ranking curve) followed by topical corticosteroids (67.9%), prostaglandin analogs (67.1%), diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP, 63.4%), topical minoxidil (61.2%), and squaric acid dibutylester (SADBE, 35.0%). In contrast, for moderate to severe disease (>50% scalp hair loss), DPCP was the top-ranked treatment (87.9%), followed by laser (77.9%), topical minoxidil (55.5%), topical corticosteroids (50.1%), SADBE (49.7%), and topical tofacitinib (47.6%). There were insufficient eligible trials to include oral tofacitinib in the network.
CONCLUSION
Statistically significant evidence is presented for the use of intralesional and topical corticosteroids for treatment of mild disease and DPCP, laser, SADBE, topical minoxidil and topical corticosteroids for moderate to severe disease. Further controlled trials are required to analyze the relative efficacy of oral tofacitinib.
PubMed: 31799258
DOI: 10.1159/000501940 -
The Immunological Association between Alopecia Areata and Respiratory Diseases: A Systematic Review.Skin Appendage Disorders Jun 2019While alopecia areata (AA) has been associated with atopy, the immunological relationship is unclear, with the association of specific atopic and systemic respiratory...
BACKGROUND
While alopecia areata (AA) has been associated with atopy, the immunological relationship is unclear, with the association of specific atopic and systemic respiratory diseases not established. The relationship between T-helper (Th)1-mediated AA and Th2-mediated atopy challenges the conventional Th1/Th2 paradigm of autoimmune disease categorization.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the association between AA and atopic respiratory diseases in adults and children, and respiratory diseases in general.
METHOD
All primary literature, excluding case reports, were identified within PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science in May 2018 using the following search terms: "(alopecia OR hair loss) AND (respiratory OR pulmonary OR lungs OR asthma OR rhinitis OR bronchitis OR COPD OR atopy OR atopic)." Information from 32 articles meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria was reviewed.
RESULTS
Among the 32 articles identified for inclusion, the prevalence of AA was more strongly associated with allergic rhinitis compared to asthma among pediatric and adult populations. While a significant association was identified between AA, allergic rhinitis, and a late age of onset, the association of AA and asthma remains controversial despite asthma's prevalence among AA patients. No significant difference was identified with regard to the association of AA and non-atopic respiratory diseases between adult and pediatric patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Adult and pediatric patients with AA warrant further workup for atopic respiratory diseases such as allergic rhinitis. AA may have an underlying Th2-mediated immunological component, which supports its association with atopic respiratory diseases and provides a new avenue for targeted therapies in select cases.
PubMed: 31367601
DOI: 10.1159/000496445 -
Medicine May 2019The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2476601 of the protein tyrosine phosphatase, nonreceptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene has been presented to implicate in the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2476601 of the protein tyrosine phosphatase, nonreceptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene has been presented to implicate in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata (AA) in a few association investigations with limited sample size and inconsistent conclusions.
METHODS
The aim of the current meta-analysis was to assess and synthesize the presently available data on the connection between rs2476601 and AA vulnerability. Six electronic databases, including EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Wanfang data, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI), were systematically retrieved for relevant observational studies published previous to November 2018. Total odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were analyzed to evaluate the correlation between PTPN22 polymorphism and AA. Risk of bias was estimated according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Sensitivity analyses were carried out using the RevMan 5.3 software.
RESULTS
In general, 5 case-control studies including 1129 AA patients and 1702 healthy control individuals were obtained for this meta-analysis. The pooled results suggested that rs2476601 SNP was significantly associated with AA susceptibility under allelic model (C vs T, OR = 0.77, 95% CI, 0.64-0.92, P = .003) and recessive model (CC vs CT + TT, OR = 0.73, 95% CI, 0.60-0.88, P = .001).
CONCLUSION
On the basis of the results of the current research, the rs2476601 polymorphism of PTPN22 gene is significantly correlated with AA susceptibility. The C-allele and CC-genotype carriers at this locus have a lower risk of AA.
Topics: Alleles; Alopecia Areata; Case-Control Studies; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genotype; Heterozygote; Humans; Male; Observational Studies as Topic; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 22; Risk; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 31096440
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000015448 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Mar 2019The 1858T allele in the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) locus shows one of the strongest and most consistent genetic associations with...
The 1858T allele in the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) locus shows one of the strongest and most consistent genetic associations with autoimmune diseases. We synthesized all meta-analyses reporting a genetic association of the PTPN22 1858T C/T polymorphism with autoimmune diseases. This work examined their validity to discover false positive results under Bayesian methods. We conducted a PubMed search to identify relevant publications and extracted the respective results, published until 30 November 2018. In observational studies, the associations of 1858 C/T genetic variant were noteworthy for 12 autoimmune or autoimmunity-related diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes mellitus, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Crohn's disease, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, vitiligo, Graves' disease, myasthenia gravis, Addison's disease, giant cell arteritis, and endometriosis). In contrast, we could not confirm the noteworthiness for eight diseases (systemic sclerosis, psoriasis, Behçet's disease, autoimmune thyroid disease, alopecia areata, Sjögren's syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and ankylosing spondylitis). From the meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with a -value < 5 × 10, findings verified noteworthiness for all autoimmune diseases (psoriatic arthritis, myasthenia gravis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis). The results from meta-analysis of GWAS showing a -value ranging between 0.05 and 5 × 10 were noteworthy under both Bayesian approaches (ANCA-associated vasculitis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, giant cell arteritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis). Re-analysis of observational studies and GWAS by Bayesian approaches revealed the noteworthiness of all significant associations observed by GWAS, but noteworthiness could not be confirmed for all associations found in observational studies.
PubMed: 30871019
DOI: 10.3390/jcm8030347 -
Medicine Aug 2018Published studies have reported conflicting and heterogeneous results regarding the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 polymorphisms and alopecia... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Published studies have reported conflicting and heterogeneous results regarding the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 polymorphisms and alopecia areata (AA). This study aimed to review and quantitatively analyze the association between HLA-DRB1 polymorphisms and AA.
METHODS
In this study, all relevant publications were searched through December 2016. Odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) for comparisons between case and control groups were calculated. Stata 14.0 software was used to perform statistical analysis. This research does not require formal ethical approval because the data used in this analysis do not involve personal information and thus do not affect privacy.
RESULTS
Twelve articles were identified. For HLA-DRB1*04 and HLA-DRB1*16 polymorphisms, the OR (95% CIs) was 1.49 (1.24-1.78) and 1.61 (1.08-2.41), and P was <.01 and <.01, respectively. For HLA-DRB1*0301, HLA-DRB1*09, and HLA-DRB1*13 polymorphisms, the OR (95% CIs) was 0.42 (0.28-0.63), 0.74 (0.55-0.99), and 0.62 (0.40-0.98), and P was <.01, <.01, and <.01, respectively. Statistical evidence revealed no publication bias (P > .05).
CONCLUSION
The present meta-analysis suggested that HLA-DRB1*04 and HLA-DRB1*16 polymorphisms might be associated with increased AA risk, while HLA-DRB1*0301, HLA-DRB1*09, and HLA-DRB1*13 polymorphisms might decrease the AA risk. Studies with adequate methodological quality on gene-gene and gene-environment interactions are needed to validate the results in the future.
Topics: Alleles; Alopecia Areata; Case-Control Studies; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; HLA-DRB1 Chains; Humans; Odds Ratio; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
PubMed: 30095639
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000011790 -
JAMA Dermatology Oct 2018Contact immunotherapy with diphenylcyclopropenone or squaric acid dibutyl ester is a preferred treatment for severe alopecia areata; however, the defined criteria for... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
IMPORTANCE
Contact immunotherapy with diphenylcyclopropenone or squaric acid dibutyl ester is a preferred treatment for severe alopecia areata; however, the defined criteria for therapeutic hair regrowth and regrowth rate have been highly heterogeneous across studies.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize the clinical outcomes of contact immunotherapy for alopecia areata according to standardized criteria for therapeutic hair regrowth and several prognostic factors.
DATA SOURCE
A database search of MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library was performed for articles published before November 20, 2017, using the search terms areata, totalis, universalis, sensitizer, sensitization, immunotherapy, DPCP, diphenylcyclopropenone, diphencyprone, SADBE, and squaric.
STUDY SELECTION
Clinical trials or observational studies that investigated contact immunotherapy for alopecia areata and subgrouped the disease into patchy alopecia or alopecia totalis/universalis and reported their hair regrowth rates were included, whereas studies that investigated combination therapy or nonconventional protocol and case series or reviews were excluded.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
The following data were extracted from each of the studies included in this meta-analysis: study year and setting, sensitizer type, study population, study population composition by disease subtype, defined criteria for therapeutic hair regrowth, and regrowth rate of contact immunotherapy. The incidence of adverse effects and recurrence rate were also recorded. A random effects model was used for data synthesis because of the expected high heterogeneity of the included studies.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The main outcome was therapeutic hair regrowth rate according to the 4-grade criteria for therapeutic regrowth. Secondary outcomes included incidence of treatment-related adverse effects and recurrence rate.
RESULTS
Forty-five studies comprising 2227 patients were analyzed. The overall rate of any hair regrowth was 65.5% among patients with alopecia areata (74.6% in the patchy alopecia and 54.5% in the alopecia totalis/universalis subgroups). However, the complete regrowth rate was 32.3% (24.9% in the patchy alopecia and 32.3% in the alopecia totalis/universalis subgroups). Disease extent of 50% or greater (odds ratio [OR], 3.05; 95% CI, 2.26-4.12), atopic history (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.03-2.50), and nail involvement (OR, 2.06; 95% CI. 1.26-3.36) were associated with poorer therapeutic outcome. Recurrence rates were 38.3% among patients receiving maintenance treatment and 49.0% among those not receiving maintenance treatment.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Various factors were associated with the clinical outcomes of contact immunotherapy for alopecia areata, with significant differences in hair regrowth rates according to the level of expected therapeutic regrowth. Quantitative summarization may improve patient education and lead to better therapeutic adherence and outcomes.
Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Alopecia; Alopecia Areata; Cyclobutanes; Cyclopropanes; Hair; Humans; Immunotherapy; Recurrence
PubMed: 30073292
DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.2312 -
Acta Dermato-venereologica Aug 2017There is increasing evidence of clinically relevant anti-inflammatory effects of monoaminergic antidepressants. PubMed and Ovid databases were searched systematically... (Review)
Review
There is increasing evidence of clinically relevant anti-inflammatory effects of monoaminergic antidepressants. PubMed and Ovid databases were searched systematically for the use and efficacy of antidepressants in association with 5 common inflammatory skin disorders: chronic urticaria, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, other eczema, and alopecia areata. From January 1984 to June 2016, publications included a total of 1,252 dermatological patients in 28 trials or case reports. These unambiguously reported a reduced burden of dermatological symptoms in relation to treatment with antidepressants. Several randomized controlled trials of first-generation antidepressants have been published, while studies of modern antidepressants are usually open-label, yet more informative, regarding patients' characteristics and study procedures. These overall positive findings may indicate a rationale, beyond treating comorbid psychiatric disorders, for the use of antidepressants in dermatology. Further research into modern tolerable antidepressants, including selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, mirtazapine and bupropion, is required.
Topics: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; Dermatologic Agents; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; Humans; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; Skin Diseases; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 28512664
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-2702