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Alopecia universalis is an uncommon form of alopecia areata.[1] Alopecia areata is hair loss of unknown cause, typically characterized by round patches of complete baldness.[2] Alopecia universalis is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Meaning, Alopecia universalis, or a subtype of Alopecia universalis, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.



Genetics/Heredity
Alopecia universalis, which presents itself as the loss of hair over the entire scalp and body, is an autoimmune disease. [1] The immune systems of those infected will mistakenly attack the hair follicles, causing them to fall out. Alopecia areata can be genetically transferred through generations; however, most children with alopecia areata do not have a parent with the disease, and the vast majority of parents with alopecia areata do not pass it along to their children.[4] This particular form of Alopecia areata Is non-life threatening, does not cause physical pain, and those with the condition are generally healthy otherwise. [4] Alopecia universalis differs from some other genetic diseases in which a child has a 50–50 chance of developing the disease if one parent has it. Scientists believe there may be a number of genes that predispose certain people to the disease. It is highly unlikely that a child would inherit all of the genes needed to predispose him or her to this particular disease. [4] In 1998, a researcher named M. Ahmad and his team of colleagues studied a family in which alopecia universalis was present in three consecutive generations. The afflicted children in the family showed no other health problems; however, skin biopsies from their scalps showed very few hair follicles. Of the follicles present, few contained hair shafts. [5]

Alopecia-universalis-Pedigree
Researchers established that there were no other inflammatory conditions present to inhibit hair growth. The subjects were born without eyebrows or eyelashes and never developed them. They also never developed underarm or pubic hair. [5] Researchers analyzed the chromosomes of all 7 individuals with Alopecia Universalis to detect genetic similarities. They found a marker at the location 8p12, consistent in all 7 subjects, but were unable to determine exactly which gene was at this location. [5] As a result, they hypothesized that there may be a genetic similarity in hairless mice which might match the one they found in the humans. Fortunately, there were several examples of alopecia in mice. They cloned the mouse hairless gene and used the mouse sequence to make PCR primers. They then used these primers on cDNA made from the mRNA of human skin fibroblasts. This identified a cDNA sequence which gave them the coding sequence of the human "hairless" gene. In humans and mice, this gene is expressed in the skin and brain. (The brain function of the gene is not known). It appears to encode a zinc-finger transcription factor. A mutation was found to be present in the "hairless" genes of all the affected individuals in the family that was studied.

Who is effected?
Alopecia affects nearly 2 percent of Americans of both sexes and of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. It often begins in childhood. If you have a close family member with the disease, your risk of developing it is slightly increased. If your family member lost his or her first patch of hair before age 30, the risk to other family members is greater. Overall, one in five people with the disease has a family member who has it as well [4].

Is there a cure?
While there is neither a cure for alopecia areata nor drugs approved for its treatment, some people find that medications approved for other purposes can help hair grow back, at least temporarily.[3] Since the hair follicles of individuals with alopecia universalis remain alive, hair regrowth may occur even without treatment and even after many years.[1] References: 1.Types of Alopecia Areata. National Alopecia Areata Foundation. 2011; Accessed 5/8/2012.

2.Alopecia areata. MedlinePlus. 2010; Accessed 5/8/2012.

3. Alopecia Areata: Questions and Answers About Alopecia Areata. National Institutes of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disorders (NIAMS). January 2012; Accessed 5/8/2012.

4. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. . Accessed 4/4/2014

5. Harlosstalk: Alopecia Universalis Information and Support. Accessed 4/4/2014