title: Familial alopecia areata. HLA antigens and autoantibody formation in an American family.
abstract: Ten members of a white American family, spanning three generations, were studied. Three family members from two different generations were affected with hair loss. Two had alopecia universalis; one had alopecia areata. All subjects were HLA-typed using 131 antiserum samples obtained from multiparous female donors defining 41 HLA-A and HLA-B antigen specificities. Six haplotypes were identified. The affected persons and four other family members shared a common haplotype, HLA-A2,B40. The OKT4 (helper), OKT8 (suppressor-cytotoxic) cells, OKT4-OKT8 (helper-suppressor-cytotoxic) ratios and the percentage of B cells found were comparable for both the 12 control subjects and the family members studied. However, family members showed increased autoantibody formation, decreased T-cell percentages, and concanavalin A-induced suppression of the normal lymphocyte response to mitogens.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D059947:HLA-B40 Antigen; D006238:Haploidy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D010375:Pedigree; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D059947:HLA-B40 Antigen; D003208:Concanavalin A