الفهرس 
Alopecia AreataOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Alopecia areata is an organ-specific autoimmune disease characteized by T-cell infiltrates and cytokine production around anagen stage hair follicles. It usually presents as patchy, nonscarring hair loss, approximately 10% of patients progress to AT or even AU. It has a worldwide prevalence ranging from 1 to 2%.
Vitiligo is a common skin disorder characterized by patterned macules-patches of depigmentation, resulting from apparent melanocyte loss. It affects approximately 1% of the world’s population. Although the exact etiology of vitiligo has not yet been established, but many theories were established including genetic factors, autoimmunity, neurogenic factors, toxic metabolites and lack of melanocyte growth factors.
IL-17 is a proinflammatory cytokine produced by activated memory T cells, other cells including NKT cells, eosinophils , neutrophils and monocytes. It was found that there was a higher plasma IL-17 level in patients with AA and vitiligo.
The first aim of the present study was to estimate plasma IL-17 levels in AA and vitiligo patients. Our second aim was to detect IL-17 gene expression and find the possible association between the increased gene expression and its protein level and the development of both diseases.
The present study was conducted on 75 subjects, 25 AA patients, 25 vitiligo patients and 25 apparently healthy volunteers. A blood sample was taken for detection of plasma IL-17 level by ELISA and for detection of IL-17 gene expression by real time PCR.