HLA class II antigen associations help to define two types of alopecia areata.

Abstract

The data support the differential association of two well-defined clinical forms of AA, namely long-standing AT/AU and long-standing patchy AA, with specific HLA antigens and age at onset; they also suggest that the broad antigen HLA-DQ3, DQB1*03, is a likely candidate for general susceptibility to AA. Our findings also suggest a bimodal pattern of disease with an early-onset form associated with greater severity, long duration, and family history of the disease and a late-onset form characterized by milder severity, shorter duration, and low family incidence.