CD44 EXPRESSION IN ALOPECIA-AREATA AND ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA

CD44 is a widely distributed cell surface protein thought to be involv ed in multiple steps of normal immune cell function, including T-cell activation, and in cellular adhesion where it mediates cell attachment to hyaluronate. In normal skin, CD44 is found by immunohistochemical means to be primarily in eccrine coil cells. In this study, we have lo oked at the expression of CD44 in normal scalp and in two different ha ir disorders, androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. In normal sca lp and androgenetic alopecia, CD44 was found in its normal distributio n in eccrine coil cells. In scalp of 30 patients with alopecia areata, there was no expression of this glycoprotein. Patients were also asse ssed pre and post treatment for their alopecia areata, and even though they had no significant hair regrowth, 2 patients regained expression of CD44, indicating a variable expression of this protein in the alop ecia areata disease process. The absence of CD44 expression in alopeci a areata-affected scalp may give further information regarding the pat hogenesis of this disease.