Association among Thyroid Dysfunction, Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis and Eczema in Children with Alopecia Areata

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Alopecia areata is a non-scarring hair loss, which typically starts quickly. Atopy is one of the possible predisposing risk factors for this condition.AIM:This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of thyroid disease, atopic dermatitis and allergic diseases in children with alopecia areata and compare the results with healthy individuals.METHODS:This case-control study was conducted on 50 patients with alopecia areata, diagnosed by a dermatologist, and 150 healthy individuals as the control group. Participants filled the questionnaires, and necessary tests were performed.RESULTS:In this study, the mean age of the participants was 2.55 ± 14.26 and 3.19 ± 11.92 in the case and control groups, respectively. Prevalence of asthma was 22% in the case group and 12.5% in control group (P = 0.109). Also, allergic rhinitis and eczema were observed in 20% and 22% of the subjects of the case group, whereas they were reported to be 8% and 10% in the control group (PV = 0.03 and 0.175, respectively). Moreover, 28% and 8% of the participants in the case and control groups had a family history of atopy and allergic disorders, respectively (P = 0.046). A significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding gender, type of delivery and contact with animals.CONCLUSIONS:According to the results of this study, a significant association was observed between the prevalence of alopecia areata and atopic conditions, such as allergic rhinitis and history of atopic dermatitis.

The Immunological Association between Alopecia Areata and Respiratory Diseases: A Systematic Review

“…The prevalence of asthma in hair loss patients ranged from 9.9 to 10.3%, compared to 6.5–7.7% for controls ( p ≤ 0.001–0.064) [27, 28]. No statistical association was identified in 4 other case-control studies (4,918 AA patients and 784,330 control patients) [21, 28-30]. The nationwide study of Chu et al [21] derived from the Taiwanese National Insurance Registry identified a statistically significant association between AA and several autoimmune diseases including AD, AR, psoriasis, thyroid disease, vitiligo, SLE, and diabetes mellitus.…”

“…A significant association was found between family history of atopy and allergic disorders and AA, with 28% of AA patients reporting a positive family history compared to 4% of controls ( p = 0.046) [21, 27-30]. Three cross-sectional studies regarding asthma and hair loss with a total 1,600 patients reported the prevalence of asthma among AA patients of 1.34–14.5%; however there was no reported association with early onset of AA or development of alopecia totalis or universalis [20, 31, 32].…”

“…Three case-control studies (6,135 AA patients and 787,810 controls) demonstrated a statistically significant associated between AR and hair loss, with a prevalence in AA patients ranging from 14.3 to 24.3% compared to 8–12.9% in controls ( p < 0.01–0.05) [21, 27, 30]. However, 2 further case-control studies (2,639 AA patients and 730 controls) did not report a statistically significant association between AR and AA [29, 28].…”

“…However, there was no statistical association between AA and asthma; furthermore, no statistically significant differences were identified upon stratification between men and women [21]. The case-control study of Ghaffari et al [30] (50 Iranians with AA and 150 control patients) described significant differences in both mean eosinophil levels (38% of the AA group had high eosinophils vs. 12% of controls; p = 0.004) and mean IgE levels (36% of the AA group vs. 15% of the controls; p = 0.046).…”

Chronological association between alopecia areata and autoimmune thyroid diseases: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…One study had a retrospective cohort design, one study was cross‐sectional and the other 15 were case–control studies . Two studies exclusively examined adults (aged ≥18 years), one study examined children (aged <18 years) and another 14 studies included both age groups . A summary of the included studies is shown in Table .…”