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PloS One 2024Globally, the rapid aging of the population is predicted to become even more severe in the second half of the 21st century. Thus, it is expected to establish a growing... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Globally, the rapid aging of the population is predicted to become even more severe in the second half of the 21st century. Thus, it is expected to establish a growing expectation for innovative, non-invasive health indicators and diagnostic methods to support disease prevention, care, and health promotion efforts. In this study, we aimed to establish a new health index and disease diagnosis method by analyzing the minerals and free amino acid components contained in hair shaft. We first evaluated the range of these components in healthy humans and then conducted a comparative analysis of these components in subjects with diabetes, hypertension, androgenetic alopecia, major depressive disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke. In the statistical analysis, we first used a student's t test to compare the hair components of healthy people and those of patients with various diseases. However, many minerals and free amino acids showed significant differences in all diseases, because the sample size of the healthy group was very large compared to the sample size of the disease group. Therefore, we attempted a comparative analysis based on effect size, which is not affected by differences in sample size. As a result, we were able to narrow down the minerals and free amino acids for all diseases compared to t test analysis. For diabetes, the t test narrowed down the minerals to 15, whereas the effect size measurement narrowed it down to 3 (Cr, Mn, and Hg). For free amino acids, the t test narrowed it down to 15 minerals. By measuring the effect size, we were able to narrow it down to 7 (Gly, His, Lys, Pro, Ser, Thr, and Val). It is also possible to narrow down the minerals and free amino acids in other diseases, and to identify potential health indicators and disease-related components by using effect size.
Topics: Humans; Hair; Male; Amino Acids; Female; Middle Aged; Adult; Alopecia; Aged; Minerals; Alzheimer Disease; Stroke; Hypertension; Depressive Disorder, Major; Diabetes Mellitus; Case-Control Studies
PubMed: 38718028
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301092 -
FEBS Open Bio Jun 2024Patterned hair loss (PHL) or androgenetic alopecia is a condition affecting about 50% of people worldwide. Several pharmacological medications have been developed over...
Patterned hair loss (PHL) or androgenetic alopecia is a condition affecting about 50% of people worldwide. Several pharmacological medications have been developed over the years, but few studies have investigated their effectiveness. Therefore, new, safer and more effective strategies are required. Recent investigations showed that Annurca apple extract application could induce keratin production and promote hair growth thanks to the high amount of procyanidin B2 contained in. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the role of an Annurca apple extract in preventing PHL by testing it on human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) for the first time. Treatment of HFDPCs with Annurca apple extract counteracted intracellular reactive oxygen species accumulation by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase 2 and catalase. Furthermore, treatment with Annurca apple extract increased β-catenin and fibroblast growth factor 2, which are involved in hair growth stimulation. These data suggest that Annurca apple extract may be a potential therapeutically useful nutraceutical product for preventing or treating hair loss by reducing oxidative stress and inducing the expression of hair growth-related factors.
Topics: Oxidative Stress; Plant Extracts; Alopecia; Humans; Malus; Reactive Oxygen Species; Antioxidants; Hair Follicle; Proanthocyanidins; Catechin; Superoxide Dismutase; Cells, Cultured; Biflavonoids; Catalase
PubMed: 38711215
DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13805 -
Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia 2024
Randomized Controlled Trial
Topics: Humans; Minoxidil; Cross-Over Studies; Male; Adult; Biotin; Administration, Oral; Treatment Outcome; Hair; Administration, Topical; Young Adult; Middle Aged; Alopecia
PubMed: 38688776
DOI: 10.1016/j.abd.2023.07.008 -
In Vivo (Athens, Greece) 2024Hair-follicle keratinocytes contain high levels of cysteine, which is derived from methionine, rapidly proliferate, and form the hair shaft. The high proliferation rate...
BACKGROUND/AIM
Hair-follicle keratinocytes contain high levels of cysteine, which is derived from methionine, rapidly proliferate, and form the hair shaft. The high proliferation rate of hair-follicle keratinocytes resembles that of aggressive cancer cells. In the present study, we determined the effect of a methionine-deficient diet on hair loss (alopecia) in mice with or without homocysteine supplementation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Mice were fed a normal rodent diet (2020X, ENVIGO) (Group 1); a methionine-choline-deficient diet (TD.90262, ENVIGO) (Group 2); a methionine-choline-deficient diet with a 10 mg/kg/day supply of homocysteine administered by intra-peritoneal (i.p.) injection for 2 weeks (Group 3). In Group 2, mice were fed a methionine-choline-deficient diet for an additional 2 weeks but with 10 mg/kg/day of i.p. l-homocysteine and the mice were observed for two additional weeks. Subsequently, the mice were fed a standard diet that included methionine. Hair loss was monitored by photography.
RESULTS
After 14 days, hair loss was observed in Group 2 mice on a methionine-restricted diet but not in Group 3 mice on the methionine-restricted diet which received i.p. homocysteine. In Group 2, at 2 weeks after methionine restriction, hair loss was not rescued by homocysteine supplementation. However, after restoration of methionine in the diet, hair growth resumed. Thus, after 2 weeks of methionine restriction, only methionine restored hair loss, not homocysteine.
CONCLUSION
Hair maintenance requires methionine in the diet. Future experiments will determine the effects of methionine restriction on hair-follicle stem cells.
Topics: Animals; Methionine; Mice; Hair; Homocysteine; Hair Follicle; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Alopecia; Disease Models, Animal; Diet; Keratinocytes
PubMed: 38688645
DOI: 10.21873/invivo.13555 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024Both alopecia areata (AA) and vitiligo are distinct, heterogenous, and complex disease entities, characterized by nonscarring scalp terminal hair loss and skin pigment... (Review)
Review
Both alopecia areata (AA) and vitiligo are distinct, heterogenous, and complex disease entities, characterized by nonscarring scalp terminal hair loss and skin pigment loss, respectively. In AA, inflammatory cell infiltrates are in the deep reticular dermis close to the hair bulb (swarm of bees), whereas in vitiligo the inflammatory infiltrates are in the epidermis and papillary dermis. Immune privilege collapse has been extensively investigated in AA pathogenesis, including the suppression of immunomodulatory factors (e.g., transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), programmed death-ligand 1 (PDL1), interleukin-10 (IL-10), α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF)) and enhanced expression of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) throughout hair follicles. However, immune privilege collapse in vitiligo remains less explored. Both AA and vitiligo are autoimmune diseases that share commonalities in pathogenesis, including the involvement of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (and interferon-α (IFN- α) signaling pathways) and cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes (and activated IFN-γ signaling pathways). Blood chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 9 (CXCL9) and CXCL10 are elevated in both diseases. Common factors that contribute to AA and vitiligo include oxidative stress, autophagy, type 2 cytokines, and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway (e.g., dickkopf 1 (DKK1)). Here, we summarize the commonalities and differences between AA and vitiligo, focusing on their pathogenesis.
Topics: Alopecia Areata; Humans; Vitiligo; Animals; Immune Privilege; Cytokines
PubMed: 38673994
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084409 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024Imbalances in gut microbiota reportedly contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases, but the association between the etiopathogenesis of alopecia areata (AA)...
Imbalances in gut microbiota reportedly contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases, but the association between the etiopathogenesis of alopecia areata (AA) and gut microbial dysbiosis remains unclear. This cross-sectional study was conducted to identify and compare the composition of the gut microbiome in patients affected by AA and those in a healthy control (HC) group, and to investigate possible bacterial biomarkers for the disease. Fecal samples were collected from 19 AA patients and 20 HCs to analyze the relationship with fecal bacteria. The three major genera constituting the gut microbiome of AA patients were , , and . The alpha diversity of the AA group was not statistically significant different from that of the HC group. However, bacterial community composition in the AA group was significantly different from that of HC group according to Jensen-Shannon dissimilarities. In patients with AA, we found an enriched presence of the genera and compared to the HC group ( < 0.05), whereas were less prevalent ( < 0.05). The gut microbiota of AA patients was distinct from those of the HC group. Our findings suggest a possible involvement of gut microbiota in in the as-yet-undefined pathogenesis of AA.
Topics: Humans; Alopecia Areata; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Female; Male; Adult; Feces; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dysbiosis; Middle Aged; Young Adult; Case-Control Studies; Bacteria; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Bacteroides
PubMed: 38673841
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084256 -
BMC Neurology Apr 2024Non-motor symptoms in myasthenia gravis (MG) are rarely confirmed. Although there are some small cohort studies, a large-systemic survey has not yet been performed.
BACKGROUND
Non-motor symptoms in myasthenia gravis (MG) are rarely confirmed. Although there are some small cohort studies, a large-systemic survey has not yet been performed.
METHODS
We investigated the incidence and clinical characteristics of patients with MG who had taste disorders and alopecia using data of 1710 patients with MG enrolled in the Japan MG Registry 2021.
RESULTS
Among them, 104 (6.1%) out of 1692 patients and 138 (8.2%) out of 1688 patients had histories of taste disorders and alopecia, respectively. Among the patients with MG, taste disorders were significantly more common in women, those with severe symptoms, refractory MG, or thymoma-associated MG, and were less common in those with ocular MG. The taste disorders often occurred after the onset of MG and often responded to MG treatments. Alopecia was more common in MG patients with a history of bulbar palsy and thymoma, and it often occurred before the onset of MG and sometimes responded to MG treatments. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed taste disturbance was associated with worst quantitative MG score and thymoma-associated MG; and alopecia was associated with thymoma-associated MG.
CONCLUSION
Clinicians should be aware of the non-motor symptoms in MG, especially in patients with severe myasthenic symptoms and thymoma-associated MG.
Topics: Humans; Myasthenia Gravis; Alopecia; Female; Male; Taste Disorders; Middle Aged; Adult; Aged; Japan; Registries; Thymoma; Incidence
PubMed: 38664714
DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03644-w -
Scientific Reports Apr 2024ANTXR1 is one of two cell surface receptors mediating the uptake of the anthrax toxin into cells. Despite substantial research on its role in anthrax poisoning and a...
ANTXR1 is one of two cell surface receptors mediating the uptake of the anthrax toxin into cells. Despite substantial research on its role in anthrax poisoning and a proposed function as a collagen receptor, ANTXR1's physiological functions remain largely undefined. Pathogenic variants in ANTXR1 lead to the rare GAPO syndrome, named for its four primary features: Growth retardation, Alopecia, Pseudoanodontia, and Optic atrophy. The disease is also associated with a complex range of other phenotypes impacting the cardiovascular, skeletal, pulmonary and nervous systems. Aberrant accumulation of extracellular matrix components and fibrosis are considered to be crucial components in the pathogenesis of GAPO syndrome, contributing to the shortened life expectancy of affected individuals. Nonetheless, the specific mechanisms connecting ANTXR1 deficiency to the clinical manifestations of GAPO syndrome are largely unexplored. In this study, we present evidence that ANTXR1 deficiency initiates a senescent phenotype in human fibroblasts, correlating with defects in nuclear architecture and actin dynamics. We provide novel insights into ANTXR1's physiological functions and propose GAPO syndrome to be reconsidered as a progeroid disorder highlighting an unexpected role for an integrin-like extracellular matrix receptor in human aging.
Topics: Humans; Fibroblasts; Cellular Senescence; Alopecia; Receptors, Cell Surface; Optic Atrophies, Hereditary; Actins; Progeria; Anodontia; Growth Disorders; Microfilament Proteins
PubMed: 38653789
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59901-y -
Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia 2024
Topics: Humans; Female; Minoxidil; Alopecia; Treatment Outcome; Child; Radiotherapy; Administration, Oral
PubMed: 38653611
DOI: 10.1016/j.abd.2023.07.010 -
Italian Journal of Dermatology and... Apr 2024This real-world analysis aimed at characterizing patients hospitalized for alopecia areata (AA) in Italy, focusing on comorbidities, treatment patterns and the economic...
BACKGROUND
This real-world analysis aimed at characterizing patients hospitalized for alopecia areata (AA) in Italy, focusing on comorbidities, treatment patterns and the economic burden for disease management.
METHODS
Administrative databases of healthcare entities covering 8.9 million residents were retrospectively browsed to include patients of all ages with hospitalization discharge diagnosis for AA from 2010 to 2020. The population was characterized during the year before the first AA-related hospitalization (index-date) and followed-up for all the available successive period. AA drug prescriptions and treatment discontinuation were analyzed during follow-up. Healthcare costs were also examined.
RESULTS
Among 252 patients with AA (mean age 32.1 years, 40.9% males), the most common comorbidities were thyroid disease (22.2%) and hypertension (21.8%), consistent with literature; only 44.4% (112/252) received therapy for AA, more frequently with prednisone, triamcinolone and clobetasol. Treatment discontinuation (no prescriptions during the last trimester) was observed in 86% and 88% of patients, respectively at 12 and 24-month after therapy initiation. Overall healthcare costs were 1715€ per patient (rising to 2143€ in the presence of comorbidities), mostly driven by hospitalization and drugs expenses.
CONCLUSIONS
This first real-world description of hospitalized AA patients in Italy confirmed the youth and female predominance of this population, in line with international data. The large use of corticosteroids over other systemic therapies followed the Italian guidelines, but the high discontinuation rates suggest an unmet need for further treatment options. Lastly, the analysis of healthcare expenses indicated that hospitalizations and drugs were the most impactive cost items.
Topics: Humans; Italy; Alopecia Areata; Male; Female; Adult; Retrospective Studies; Hospitalization; Adolescent; Young Adult; Middle Aged; Child; Health Care Costs; Comorbidity; Child, Preschool; Thyroid Diseases; Hypertension; Aged
PubMed: 38650498
DOI: 10.23736/S2784-8671.24.07785-5