Some Trace Elements' Level in Alopecia Areata

Background : Alopecia areata (AA) is a non-scarring, inflammatory, hair loss disease with an unpredictable course. It is commonly manifested by patchy areas of complete hair loss on the scalp and other hair-bearing areas in the body that can progress to complete loss of all body hair. AA is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune condition that is most likely to occur in genetically predisposed individuals. Different cytokines such as Interleukin 1 ( IL-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of AA. Proper cell metabolism and effective immune function are dependent on a total of 72 trace elements e.g., zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and selenium (Se). Disturbances in the levels of Zn, Cu and Se are thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of AA through affecting the levels of different cytokines. Aim of the Work: The aim of this study was to explore the role could be played by the trace elements ( Zn, Cu and Se ) in the pathogenesis of AA. Patients and Methods: This study included 44 patients with a single patch of AA (group I), 36 patients with multiple patches of AA (group II) and 20 healthy control individuals (group III). Venous blood samples were taken from all the participants and then these samples were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS) to estimate the serum level of Zn, Cu and Se. Results: There were statistically significant decrease in the serum level of Zn, Cu and Se of both groups of AA patients than controls, but there was no difference in the serum levels of the studied elements between the two groups of AA patients. There was a statistically significant decrease in serum level of Zn and Cu in males of group II than those of group I, also, there was a statistically significant decrease in serum level of Se in the females of group II than group I. There was a statistically significant difference in the serum level of Zn in group I and II in age ≤ 30 and > 30 years. There was a statistically significant decrease in serum level of Zn (group II) than Egyptian Dermatology Online Journal Vol. 9 No 1: 6, June 2013 2 http://www.edoj.org.eg (group I) when the duration of the disease is ≤ 2 months. There were no significant relations between the studied trace elements and the rest of clinical parameters. Conclusion: Serum of both groups of AA patients expressed low levels of Zn, Cu and Se when compared with controls suggesting their possible role in the pathogenesis of AA.