Alopecia Areata as Auto-immune disease

In my previous blogs, I talked about the immune system in relation to alopecia areata and then I talked about the normal functions of T-lymphocytes.

Why is Alopecia areata considered as an autoimmune disease?

Each different cells/tissue of the body has their own "social security number" / receptors (non antigenic) and the T-lymphocytes normally identify the "social security numbers" that does not belong to the normal tissues found in one own's body and attack them. For example, the immune system, including lymphocytes is triggered to attack the foreign infectious agents and abnormal proteins found in the normal body. (Different "social security numbers" of the various pathogenic bacteria, viruses...etc)

In Alopecia Areata, the T-lymphocytes somehow identify the specific "social security number" (self antigen) of the hair follicles as foreign infectious agents/ non self and could not distinguish it for being of the part of own body and start "arresting and attacking" the hair follicles....and now the person suffers from Alopecia Areata.

Medical definition for:

Antigen- Any substances which is capable, under appropriate conditions, of inducing a specific immune response..

Self antigen- Any constituents of body's own tissue capable of stimulating a specific immune response/ autoimmunity.

(Its like the police arrest you as for being an illegal immigrant when you're actually a citizen of the country)

Joshua

(For information on Alopecia & Support, pls visit AASC-i or join Alopecia Areata Support Community)

Understanding T-Cytotoxic & T-Helper Lymphocytes

Hello everyone,

From my previous blog (Explaining Alopecia Areata & Autoimmune Disease), I talked briefly about Alopecia Areata and then proceed to the discussion of the Immune System.

I have touched on the microscopic presence of T-Cytotoxic and T-Helper lymphocytes excessively on the hair follicles of a skin biopsy taken from a patient with Alopecia Areata.

Before I go on further to explain why Alopecia Areata is recognized to be an autoimmune condition. Let us watch the videos below to understand the normal function of T-Cytotoxic and T-Helper lymphocytes in our body's immune system.


T-Cytotoxic (Lymphocytes)
*Note: Antigens are proteins that are able to produce an immune response (E.g. proteins of bacteria, viruses)

-function to eliminate antigens by releasing cytoxic properties/substances.

T-Helper (Lymphocytes)

-function to eliminate antigens by signalling other immune cells.

Thats all for today, I shall talk about Alopecia Areata as an Autoimmune Disease at a later date. (I shall continue our discussion in about a week from now)

At the end of this series of blog, if the people who read and learned about Alopecia areata still behaved rudely and even jeer at people suffering from Alopecia areata. I shall make an official declaration on this kind of people.

As for the rest, thank you very much for your support, patience and interest in Alopecia areata.

Joshua

Explaning Alopecia areata & Autoimmune disease.

I would like to begin my first official blog by posting a subject that is not life-threatening but life-altering. The subject is Alopecia Areata (Widely believed to be an autoimmune disease).

As an Alopecia areata patient, I have been laughed, stared, commented rudely and even be labelled as a member of the skinhead gang in the public multiple times. I've even heard from the public calling women with alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, crazy womens, Alopecia universalis patients as freaks who shaved their eyebrows and pulled off their eyelashes.

Children are being laughed and jeered as baldy, alien or even hairless monsters! Enough is enough! If we are not bound by the Rule of Law but rather the Law of the jungle, I would have given a smack or two slaps on the faces on people who laughed at children with Alopecia areata.

• So, to whoever (on condition that you're civilized, with brains in the body, I don't care where your brains is, as long as you have one in your body) want or have showed rudeness, ignorance to children and women with alopecia especially and also to my fellow brothers. You are welcome to read my blog.

To those who live with Alopecia areata or live with/know someone you loved with Alopecia areata, you are most welcome to read my blog.

• First of all, Immune system and Autoimmune system does not exist separately. The term "Autoimmune System" does not even exist whether in scientific or medical definition. There is only Immune system and Autoimmune disease/condition (One of many ways the immune system can breakdown).

• However, "Autoimmune disorder, Autoimmune conditions, Autoimmune diseases" are often used interchangeably and Autoimmune disorder/conditions/diseases is merely the failure of the body Immune system to recognize one own self (cells and tissues) and therefore "attack" (produce an immune response against) the host's (e.g human) own cells and tissues that makes up the normal structure of the physical body.

• Let us not discuss in depth into scientific terms but rather an explanation based on basic science.

The immune system in general, works in two general pathways:

1. Non-specific immunity (innate pathway)- eg. the physical barrier of skin, acid in the stomach, phagocytics cells in blood that eats up bacteria in general...etc
2. Specific immunity (pathway)

Alopecia areata falls into the minor malfunction of the Specific immunity (pathway).Under Specific Immunity, it further subdivides into two components:

1. Passive immunity- (e.g transfer of antibodies from mother's milk to baby)
   and Alopecia Areata (Autoimmnue condition) is narrowed down to the minor malfunction of the Active immunity.
2. Active immunity- response upon stimulation (e.g vaccination, exposure of disease, infection)

Under Active immunity, it further divides into two categories:

1. Humoral immunity ( produced by B-lymphocytes)- e.g production of antibodies like Immunoglobulins, IgM, IgG, IgE...etc.
2. Cell-mediated immunity (T-lymphocytes)

* Another type of lymphocytes besides B and T-lymphocytes is Natural Killer Cells (NK) which is part of the Non-specific (Innate pathway) immune system.

and the identified culprit (agreed by most) for Alopecia areata is the T-lymphocyte cells (T-Cytotoxic cells which destroys cells) and (T-Helper cell which tells the other white blood cells to destroy cells and enhance the B-lymphocytes to produce antibodies specifically)

Under the microscope: a skin biopsy of a patient with Alopecia Areata shows

• Extensive T-Cytotoxic and T-Helper cells are present surrounding the hair follicles, "attacking" them, so in laymen term the hair follicle is "under siege". Hence, the hair follicle cannot produce any hair, and the nutrients supplied for hair growth is BLOCKED by these T-lymphocytes cells and their allies.

So, above the surface of the skin, no hair is present (Alopecia= a clinical symptom of absence of hair on skin where they normally are/ should be).

Why is Alopecia Areata often starts as circular patches extending outwardly? What's wrong with the presence lymphocytes around the hair follicle and why Autoimmune disease?

I will discuss that in my next blog. Thank you for reading.

Joshua

p/s: You may want to visit Alopecia Areata Support Community or read about Alopecia Areata at AASC-i if you find my blog interesting.