Dermatology in India
Serum granulysin as a possible key marker of the activity of alopecia areata.
Ono S, Otsuka A, Yamamoto Y, Kataoka TR, Koyanagi I, Miyachi Y, Kabashima K.
J Dermatol Sci. 2014 Jan;73(1):74-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2013.08.009. Epub 2013 Sep 2.
- Alopecia areata (AA) is an auto-immune inflammatory dermatosis of the scalp resulting in non-scarring rounded patches of alopecia on the scalp. On histological slides: a characteristic “swarm of bees” lymphocytic infiltrate is round around the hair follicles.
- The cause is unknown but it is sometimes associated with other auto-immune conditions such as thyroid disease.
- The problem of this condition is that it is very difficult to predict:
- if il will become more widespread.
- how long it is going to last.
- There are negative factors such as its extent, the presence of ophiasis (affecting all the cironferesnce of the head)…
- Additionally, it could be useful to monitor the activity of the disease:
- as soon as the disease becomes inactive, the patient can expect the hair to regrow sometime in the foreseeable future.
- Conversely if the disease is very active, it might extend.
- This is not negligeable, as the disease is a great source of anxiety and social withdrawal.
- The authors found that serum granulysin could fill this role:
- levels are elevated in acute and chronic AA.
- in acute AA: higher levels are associated with a larger affected surface and a poorer prognosis.
- granulysin bearing cells were found when immunohistochemistry was done in the “swarm of bees.”
- Conclusion: serum granulysin appears to be promising in measuring acute AA disease activity as well as prognosis.
Contributors
Dr Christophe Hsu – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland
Related posts