Serum anti-Fcγ receptor autoantibodies in patients with alopecia areata

Although anti-Fc gamma receptor antibodies (Abs) are detected in various autoimmune diseases, there have been no studies about the anti-Fc gamma receptor Abs in alopecia areata (AA). To detect the anti-Fc gamma receptor Abs in patients with AA and their clinical correlations, Serum samples from 72 patients with AA and 23 normal controls were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay assessing anti-Fc gamma receptor Ab levels. Anti-Fc gamma receptor I Abs were significantly frequently detected in patients with AA compared with normal controls. Furthermore, the detection of anti-Fc gamma receptor I Abs significantly inversely correlated with the disease duration. These results suggest that anti-Fc gamma receptor I Ab and Fc gamma receptor I play an important role in the regulation of AA, are useful for a marker of the disease prognosis and are worth intense research for the reasonable and specific therapy of AA.