Assuntos
Alopecia em Áreas/etiologia , Doenças em Gêmeos/etiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idade de Início , Alopecia em Áreas/genética , Alopecia em Áreas/virologia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Meio Ambiente , Infecções por Vírus Epstein-Barr/complicações , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Gêmeos Dizigóticos , Gêmeos MonozigóticosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of alopecia areata (AA) is incompletely known. A positive family history in some points to a genetic predisposition, and discordance of the disease in identical twins suggests environmental triggers exist. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a possible environmental trigger for AA. METHODS: We queried the National AA Registry for all patients who self-reported sudden onset of AA with concurrent EBV mononucleosis. RESULTS: Among the 6256 individuals registered between December 2001 and August 2007, 1586 patients reported an environmental trigger-including 12 individuals who had an EBV infection within 6 months before the onset of AA. LIMITATIONS: This study relies on self-reported data, and not all medical records confirming EBV infections were available for review. CONCLUSION: The association between EBV and AA is worthy of further investigation.
