The Studies On The Relationship Between Apoptosis And Alopecia Areata

Objective: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common hair disease with unknown etiology and undetermined pathogenesis and without effective treatment methods. Most of the hair somewhere will go into involutional phases or resting phases because of disturbance of hair growth cycle when patients have alopecia areata. There are programmed death cells (apoptotic cell )in isthmus ,petiol and glomus of external root sheath of hair follicle when regressive phase begins. It can be interpreted that apoptosis of hair may be involved in pathogenesis of AA, But the study on apoptosis of AA has not been reported. This study is designed to detect Bcl-2, Bax, c-myc and p53 and to observe expression of protein-product of apoptogenes in the lesion of AA for exploring the relationship between apoptogenes and AA.Materials and Methods: AA patients were derived from the dermatology department of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University from 2002.11 to 2003.11. The lesion samples of 30 patients were investigated with histopathological and immunohistochemical methods. These AA patients are 14 males and 16 females; Age range is from 14 to 45(average 24.93); Average course is 6 months; Active phase is 17 and stable phase is 13; The number of alopecia areata is 28, alopeciatotalis is 1 and alopecia universalis is 1. The material was drawn by trephine under local anesthesia with the consentience of these patients. 20 healthy scalp specimens from deparment of cerebral surgery were taken as controls, they are 14 males and 16 females; Age range is from 14 to 50(average 26.83); Age and sex between AA and healthy specimens had no significant difference by average test. The Specimens were processed by 10% formalin and paraffin.HE staining was used in histopathology and histostain-SP method in immunohistochemistry.Results: 1. Histopathological examination: It's showed that the hair follicles become atrophy and into superior part of dermis. There are numerous Lymphocytes infiltration in the follicles and perifollicles in the lesions of AA. It's like a swarm of bees. The number of Lymphocytes in active phase is more than stable phase. 2. Immunohistochemistry appearance: Bcl-2 is decreased by comparing to contrals (P<0.05). Bcl-2 is positive in cell plasm of basal lamina of epidermis n Lymphocyte in dermis > external root sheath of hair follicle ^ vessel epithelial cells of sebaceous gland and clear cell and negative in eccrine gland ducU endothelial cell of blood vesseh nervesN fibrocyte and arrector pilli muscle. 3. The expression of Bax of A A is stronger than contrals (P<0.05). Bax is positive in cell plasm of basal lamina of epidermis > Lymphocyte in derrm^ external root sheath of hair follicle and some of fibroblast and negative in eccrine gland > endothelial cell of blood vesseh nerves and...