title: Alefacept for severe alopecia areata: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy of alefacept for the treatment of severe alopecia areata (AA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic departments of dermatology in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five individuals with chronic and severe AA affecting 50% to 95% of the scalp hair and resistant to previous therapies. Intervention Alefacept, a US Food and Drug Administration-approved T-cell biologic inhibitor for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Main Outcome Measure Improved Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score over 24 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants receiving alefacept for 12 consecutive weeks demonstrated no statistically significant improvement in AA when compared with a well-matched placebo-receiving group (P = .70). Conclusion Alefacept is ineffective for the treatment of severe AA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Ave, TCH-158, New York, NY 10016, USA. strober@nyc.rr.com
authors.forename: Bruce E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Strober
authors.forename: Kavita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McMichael
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hordinsky
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Krueger
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Panko
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Siu
authors.forename: Jonathan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lustgarten
authors.forename: Elizabeth K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shapiro
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000077944:Alefacept; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D011336:Probability; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000077944:Alefacept