ABSTRACT
Alopecia areata [AA] is a common and distressing disorder of unknown etiology. The aim of the present work was to investigate some immunological factors that might have a role in the aetiopathogenesis of AA. Autoantibody and immunohistochemical studies were made. Eighty seven patients with AA and 20 controls were studied for the detection of circulating antibodies against thyroid, gastric, smooth muscle, mitochondrial, ovarian, testicular and vascular tissue. Lymphocyte subsets, Langerhans cells, macrophages, histiocytes and HLA-DR were studied by immunohistochemical techniques. Our results showed that AA patients have positive autoantibodies in the following percentages, antitesticular antibodies [38.4%], antinuclear antibodies [9.2%], antithyroid thyroglobulin and antithyroid microsomal antibodies [8%], anticardiolipin [6.9%], antismooth muscle antibodies [5.7%] and antiparietal cell antibodies [4.6%]. T4, T8, B lymphocytes, Langerhan cells, macrophages and histiocytes were increased in the perifollicular cellular infiltrations. There was also an increased incidence of HLA-DR. Conclusions: Our findings regarding the autoantibodies studied and the perifollicular cellular infiltrate support the view that immunological factors play a role in alopecia areata