title: The role of lymphocytes in the development and treatment of alopecia areata.
abstract: Alopecia areata (AA) development is associated with both innate and adaptive immune cell activation, migration to peri- and intra-follicular regions, and hair follicle disruption. Both CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes are abundant in AA lesions; however, CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes are more likely to enter inside hair follicles, circumstantially suggesting that they have a significant role to play in AA development. Several rodent models recapitulate important features of the human autoimmune disease and demonstrate that CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes are fundamentally required for AA induction and perpetuation. However, the initiating events, the self-antigens involved, and the molecular signaling pathways, all need further exploration. Studying CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes and their fate decisions in AA development may reveal new and improved treatment approaches.
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.|b 2 Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Yabin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.|c 3 Department of Dermatology, New York University, Langone Medical Center, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.|d 4 Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McElwee
mesh_terms: D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens
keywords: alopecia areata; autoimmune inflammation; hair follicles; lymphocytes; pathogenesis; treatment