title: Treatment of alopecia areata partim universalis with efalizumab.
abstract: Alopecia areata (AA) is considered an autoimmune disease targeted at hair follicles with T-lymphocytes playing an important role in the pathogenesis. Treatment of AA, particularly the totalis and universalis subtypes, is often difficult and remains a therapeutic challenge. Novel biologic therapies that have been developed for the treatment of other immune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases may represent a new therapeutic modality for this disease. Efalizumab is a humanized monoclonal anti-CD11a antibody that inhibits T-cell activation and migration. We report a case of a 19-year-old man suffering from AA partim universalis, treated with efalizumab monotherapy. The treatment was well tolerated with no reported side effects. The striking improvement warrants further studies with this biologic therapy in AA.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Dermatology, University of Bern.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kaelin
authors.forename: Akmhal Said
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Lasser Roger
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Braathen
authors.forename: Nikil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yawalkar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C472181:efalizumab