Alopecia Areata and Vitamin D3 Deficiency: The Potential of Calcipotriol as a Treatment
Main Article Content
Keywords
alopecia areata, hair loss, calcipotriol, vitamin D, narrative review
Abstract
Background: Alopecia areata is a non-scarring form of hair loss associated with the loss of the hair follicle immune privilege with a prevalence of 2% in the population. It results in an accumulation of lymphocytes around the lower part of the hair bulb ultimately leading to hair loss.
Discussion: Vitamin D3 deficiency is significantly more prevalent in patients with alopecia areata than in healthy populations and correlates with disease severity. Screening patients with alopecia areata for vitamin D3 deficiency could be beneficial, potentially allowing for supplementation. The pathogenic involvement of vitamin D3 in alopecia areata is attributed to its regulatory impact on immune and epidermal cells’ function, particularly through modulation of the JAK/STAT pathway, T lymphocytes proliferation and hair follicle damage.
Conclusion: The data on the effectiveness of vitamin D3 supplementation and topical calcipotriol in treating alopecia areata are inconsistent, and the evidence supporting their efficacy is primarily of low quality. This article underscores the need for randomized, placebo-controlled studies with large patient cohorts to evaluate the efficacy of calcipotriol in the treatment of alopecia areata.
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