Interleukin 17A gene polymorphism in alopecia areata

Abstract

Objective The aim of the current work was to investigate if interleukin 17A (IL-17A) G197A gene polymorphism confers susceptibility to alopecia areata (AA) in Egyptian patients. Background There is strong evidence for an autoimmune etiology of AA. IL-17A is a Th17 proinflammatory cytokine that has been linked to the pathogenesis of diverse autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Patients and methods A total of 60 patients with AA were recruited, along with 40 healthy individuals who were matched for age and sex as a control group. IL-17A (G197A) gene polymorphism was investigated using restriction fragment length polymorphism PCR. Results Presence of A allele and AA genotype was significantly associated with AA cases compared with control group (P = 0.00 for both). A significant association was found between AA genotype and A allele and clinical data of the studied cases regarding disease severity, pattern of hair loss, nail changes, and course and response of disease to treatment (P = 0.00 for all). Conclusion IL-17A (G197A) gene polymorphism is associated with AA. Further large-scale studies are recommended to underscore and validate the current findings.