Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume 61, Issue 4 , Pages 581-591, October 2009

History of atopy or autoimmunity increases risk of alopecia areata

  • Nazila Barahmani, MD, MS

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dermatology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
    • Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, Texas
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Nazila Barahmani, MD, MS, Department of Dermatology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler, Unit 1452, Houston, TX 77030.
    • ,
  • Matthew B. Schabath, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control, The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, Texas
    • Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, The H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
    • ,
  • Madeleine Duvic, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dermatology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
    • ,
  • National Alopecia Areata Registry

Accepted 3 April 2009. published online 17 July 2009.

Background

The association between a history of atopy or autoimmune diseases and risk of alopecia areata (AA) is not well established.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to use the National AA Registry database to further investigate the association between history of atopy or autoimmune diseases and risk of AA.

Methods

A total of 2613 self-registered sporadic cases (n = 2055) and controls (n = 558) were included in this analysis.

Results

Possessing a history of any atopic (odds ratio = 2.00; 95% confidence interval 1.50-2.54) or autoimmune (odds ratio = 1.73; 95% confidence interval 1.10-2.72) disease was associated with an increased risk of AA. There was no trend for possessing a history of more than one atopic or autoimmune disease and increasing risk of AA.

Limitations

Recall, reporting, and recruiting bias are potential sources of limitations in this analysis.

Conclusion

This analysis revealed that a history of atopy and autoimmune disease was associated with an increased risk of AA and that the results were consistent for both the severe subtype of AA (ie, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis) and the localized subtype (ie, AA persistent).

Key words: alopecia areata, atopy, autoimmunity, epidemiology, National Alopecia Areata Registry

Abbreviations used: AA, alopecia areata, AAP, alopecia areata persistent, AT, alopecia totalis, AU, alopecia universalis, IFN, interferon, IL, interleukin, NAAF, National Alopecia Areata Foundation, NAAR, National Alopecia Areata Registry, OR, odds ratio, Th1, T helper 1, Th2, T helper 2

 

 Principal investigators of National Alopecia Areata Registry: Hordinsky M, Christiano A, Price VH, Norris D, and Duvic M.

 Supported by the National Alopecia Areata Registry (NAAR), a National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases contract NO1-AR-6-2279, and National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF).

 Conflicts of interest: None declared.

 Reprints not available from the authors.

PII: S0190-9622(09)00518-0

doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2009.04.031

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume 61, Issue 4 , Pages 581-591, October 2009