Association Of HLA Allele And Haplotype With Alopecia Areata In Chinese Hans

Background Alopecia areata (AA) is a disease characterized by patchy hair loss of variable severity, sometimes progressing to alopecia totalis (AT) or alopecia universalis (AU). It affects about 0.1-0.2% in USA and represents 2% of the total number of cases in dermatology outpatients in China. AA is a condition that is consistent with a multifactorial pattern of inheritance in human and animal models. It is hypothesized to be an organ-specific autoimmune disease with genetic predisposition and an environmental trigger.HLA genes on human chromosome 6 code for the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins that are important in presentation of antigens and self recognition by immune cells. HLA is now recognized as a major contributing factor for susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. Some HLA alleles were reported association with AA, however, the literature concerning HLA associations with AA is often in disagreement, with discrepancies seen in the allelic distribution for different ethnic groups. There is limited data on HLA haplotype in AA. No report has been published about HLA alleles...