Evaluation of the profile of alopecia areata and the prevalence of thyroid function test abnormalities and serum autoantibodies in Iranian patients

We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 123 patients with AA. The main site of involvement, pattern, and extent of alopecia as well as presence of the similar disease in first-degree family members and serologic status of patients were recorded.Participating in the study were 57 males and 66 females (6 to 59 years old). In the majority of patients (69.9%) the disease was manifested in the first two decades of life. Patients with family members having alopecia were recorded in 24.4%. Thyroid function abnormalities were found in 8.9% of patients. Positive autoimmune antibodies were associated with AA in 51.4% of patients with no significant association between the severity and duration of disease and presence of these antibodies.The incidence of positive auto-immune antibodies in Iranian patients is higher than previous reports. Concerning the female:male ratio, thyroid function tests and the prevalence of alopecia in first-degree relatives, our results are compatible with previous data obtained from different ethnic populations. Previous reports documented that a greater severity and longer duration of AA were seen in the early onset forms; however our result are relatively different which could be explained by differences in genetic factors.Alopecia areata (AA) is a non-scarring hair disorder, the etiology of which is minimally understood. Since human hair has an important communicational role and also because it is predominantly a disease of the youth, this disorder is able to cause significant psychological distress. Therefore, it would be extremely grateful to find appropriate measures to overcome this relatively stressful disorder. This aim is only when achieved that the main underlying causes of the disorder have been discovered.Although many different pathogenic causes have been proposed, the determination of the exact underlying etiology of AA is extremely problematic. In fact, these difficulties are in part due to variable extent of the disease and th