Treatment of widespread alopecia areata in young patients with monthly oral corticosteroid pulse

A Retrospective Study on Alopecia Areata in Children: Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Choices

Background

Although children are affected frequently with alopecia areata (AA), data are limited on clinical characteristics and treatment choices.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the records of the pediatric dermatology department over a 12-year period to identify children with AA. Clinical data were collected.

Results

Three hundred and sixty-four children with AA were identified, aged 1-12 years, 214 males and 150 females. The mean age of onset was 6.6 years (±3.3). The disease presented with patches on the scalp in the majority (90.7%), whereas only 6 children had alopecia totalis or universalis. The most commonly prescribed treatment was topical steroids (69.1%), followed by the combination of topical steroids and minoxidil 2% (14.3%). Oral steroids were prescribed in only 16 children. Follow-up at 3 months was available for only 70 children and the majority (84.3%) had some hair regrowth. Hair regrowth was unrelated to the number of plaques (p = 0.257), disease location (p = 0.302), and atopy (p = 0.999). Hair regrowth only correlated with the type of treatment (p = 0.003) with potent topical and intralesional steroids giving the best results.

Conclusion

AA usually presents with a mild form in children, and potent topical steroids are the mainstay of treatment.

Treatment of pediatric alopecia areata: A systematic review

Background:

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune, nonscarring hair loss disorder with slightly greater prevalence in children than adults. Various treatment modalities exist; however, their evidence in pediatric AA patients is lacking.

Objective:

To evaluate the evidence of current treatment modalities for pediatric AA.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic review on the PubMed database in October 2019 for all published articles involving patients <18 years old. Articles discussing AA treatment in pediatric patients were included, as were articles discussing both pediatric and adult patients, if data on individual pediatric patients were available.

Results:

Inclusion criteria were met by 122 total reports discussing 1032 patients. Reports consisted of 2 randomized controlled trials, 4 prospective comparative cohorts, 83 case series, 2 case-control studies, and 31 case reports. Included articles assessed the use of aloe, apremilast, anthralin, anti-interferon gamma antibodies, botulinum toxin, corticosteroids, contact immunotherapies, cryotherapy, hydroxychloroquine, hypnotherapy, imiquimod, Janus kinase inhibitors, laser and light therapy, methotrexate, minoxidil, phototherapy, psychotherapy, prostaglandin analogs, sulfasalazine, topical calcineurin inhibitors, topical nitrogen mustard, and ustekinumab.

Limitations:

English-only articles with full texts were used. Manuscripts with adult and pediatric data were only incorporated if individual-level data for pediatric patients were provided. No meta-analysis was performed.

Conclusion:

Topical corticosteroids are the preferred first-line treatment for pediatric AA, as they hold the highest level of evidence, followed by contact immunotherapy. More clinical trials and comparative studies are needed to further guide management of pediatric AA and to promote the potential use of pre-existing, low-cost, and novel therapies, including Janus kinase inhibitors.

Childhood Alopecia Areata: An Overview of Treatment and Recent Patents

BACKGROUND

Alopecia Areata (AA) is a systemic autoimmune condition that usually starts in childhood.

OBJECTIVE

This article aims to review genetics, therapy, prognosis, and recent patents for AA.

METHODS

We used clinical queries and keywords "alopecia areata" AND "childhood" as a search engine. Patents were searched using the key term "alopecia areata" in Patents.google.com and freepatentsonline. com.

RESULTS

Due to an immune-mediated damage to the hair follicles, hair is lost from the scalp and other areas of the body temporarily or even permanently. Children with AA are generally healthy. Evidence of genetic association and increased predisposition for AA was found by studying families with affected members. Pathophysiologically, T- lymphocytes attack hair follicles and cause inflammation and destruction of the hair follicles and hair loss. In mild cases, there would be well-demarcated round patchy scalp hair loss. The pathognomonic "exclamation mark hairs" may be seen at the lesion periphery. In more severe cases, the hair loss may affect the whole scalp and even the whole body. The clinical course is also variable, which may range from transient episodes of recurrent patchy hair loss to an indolent gradually deteriorating severe hair loss. The treatment of AA depends on factors including patients' age, the extent of the hair loss, duration of disease, psychological impact, availability and side effect profile of the treatments. For localized patchy alopecia, topical application of corticosteroids and/or intralesional corticosteroids are the treatment of choice. Other topical treatments include minoxidil, anthralin, coal tar and immunotherapy. In severe resistant cases, systemic immunosuppressants may be considered. Although herbal medicine, acupuncture, complementary and alternative medicine may be tried on children in some Asian communities, the evidence to support these practices is lacking. To date, only a few recent patents exist in topical treatments, including Il-31, laser and herbal medications. Clinical efficacy is pending for these treatment modalities.

CONCLUSION

None of the established therapeutic options are curative. However, newer treatment modalities, including excimer laser, interleukin-31 antibodies and biologics, are evolving so that there may be significant advances in treatment in the near future. AA can be psychosocially devastating. It is important to assess the quality of life, degree of anxiety, social phobia and mood of the patients and their families. Psychological support is imperative for those who are adversely affected psychosocially.

Sequential high- and low-dose systemic corticosteroid therapy for severe childhood alopecia areata

BACKGROUND

Given the limited number of therapeutic options, severe childhood alopecia areata (AA) poses a clinical challenge. The best and most rapid response rates can be achieved with high-dose systemic corticosteroids, however, relapse following treatment discontinuation is inevitable. Due to systemic side effects, long-term high-dose corticosteroid regimens are not feasible. Following initial pulse therapy, continuation of corticosteroid therapy at a dose below the Cushing threshold might be able to suppress disease activity without causing severe side effects.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirteen children with severe AA were enrolled in our open observational study. Seven had alopecia totalis or universalis; the remaining six children had multifocal alopecia affecting more than 50 % of the scalp. The treatment regimen consisted of initial pulse therapy with prednisolone 2 mg/kg PO, which was subsequently tapered to a maintenance dose below the individual Cushing threshold within nine weeks. Children were followed-up for one to three years.

RESULTS

Sixty-two percent of individuals showed complete hair regrowth. The mean time to response was 6.6 weeks. Said response was sustained with maintenance therapy for the entire follow-up period. Noticeable side effects included weight gain (1-3 kg), which was observed in all children, and mild steroid acne in 23 % of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Sequential high- and low-dose prednisolone therapy is an effective and safe therapeutic option for childhood AA.

Alteration of serum and tissue tumor necrosis factor alpha levels: A possible mechanism of action of oral pulse steroids in the treatment of alopecia areata

BACKGROUND

Alopecia areata (AA) is a multifactorial disease in which tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) plays an important role.

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of oral pulse steroids on both serum and tissue levels of TNF-α in AA patients.

METHODS

Skin biopsies and serum samples were collected from 20 patients with patchy AA before and after treatment (oral prednisolone for two consecutive days every week for 3 months) for determination of the levels of TNF-α levels using ELISA technique.

RESULTS

Both serum and tissue levels of TNF-α in AA patients were significantly higher than in controls before (P < 0.001) as well as after treatment (P = 0.0169 and P = 0.3051), respectively. The duration of disease negatively correlated with tissue TNF-α before treatment (P < 0.0001). Serum and tissue levels of TNF-α dropped significantly after treatment (P < 0.0001). The percentage of reduction of both tissue and serum TNF-α levels correlated positively with the percentage of clinical improvement (r = 0.682, P = 0.0009; r = 0.567, P = 0.009, respectively).

CONCLUSION

TNF-α plays an important role in the evolution of AA lesions, and alteration in both serum and tissue levels of TNF-α could be considered one of the important mechanisms of action of systemic oral pulse steroids in the treatment of AA.

Alopecia Areata: a Comprehensive Review of Pathogenesis and Management

Alopecia areata is a common hair loss condition that is characterized by acute onset of non-scarring hair loss in usually sharply defined areas ranging from small patches to extensive or less frequently diffuse involvement. Depending on its acuity and extent, hair loss is an important cause of anxiety and disability. The current understanding is that the condition represents an organ-specific autoimmune disease of the hair follicle with a genetic background. Genome-wide association studies provide evidence for the involvement of both innate and acquired immunity in the pathogenesis, and mechanistic studies in mouse models of alopecia areata have specifically implicated an IFN-γ-driven immune response, including IFNγ, IFNγ-induced chemokines and cytotoxic CD8 T cells as the main drivers of disease pathogenesis. A meta-analysis of published trials on treatment of alopecia areata states that only few treatments have been well evaluated in randomized trials. Nevertheless, depending on patient age, affected surface area and disease duration, an empiric treatment algorithm can be designed with corticosteroids and topical immunotherapy remaining the mainstay of therapy. The obviously limited success of evidence-based therapies points to a more important complexity of hair loss. At the same time, the complexity of pathogenesis offers opportunities for the development of novel targeted therapies. New treatment opportunities based on the results of genome-wide association studies that implicate T cell and natural killer cell activation pathways are paving the way to new approaches in future clinical trials. Currently, there are ongoing studies with the CTLA4-Ig fusion protein abatacept, anti-IL15Rβ monoclonal antibodies and the Janus kinase inhibitors tofacitinib, ruxolitinib and baricitinib. Ultimately, the options available for adapting to the disease rather than treating it in an effort to cure may also be taken into consideration in selected cases of long-standing or recurrent small spot disease.

Chronological clinicopathological characterization of rapidly progressive alopecia areata resistant to multiple i.v. corticosteroid pulse therapies: An implication for improving the efficacy

Intravenous corticosteroid pulse therapy (pulse therapy) has been reported to be effective for rapidly progressive alopecia areata (RP-AA). Mostly, a single 3-day administration of corticosteroid (methylprednisolone 500 mg/day) has been performed in Japan; however, to what extent additional administrations improve the outcome has not been fully elucidated. To assess the advantage of repeating the pulse therapy to RP-AA cases refractory to the initial intervention, retrospective clinicopathological analysis was performed. Detailed chronological analysis was conducted in eight cases (one man and seven women; average age, 38.3 ± 10.4 years) demonstrating total scalp hair loss 3 months after the first pulse therapy and treated with additional rounds of the pulse therapy. All cases manifested total hair loss, scalp edema, itch or pain on the scalp after the initial intervention. Histopathological analyses of affected lesions prior to additional pulse therapies revealed persisting dense perifollicular lymphocytic inflammation in all cases. Interestingly, such inflammatory change tended to be severer when compared with previously reported pulse therapy good responders. Extra pulse therapy resulted in partial regrowth of terminal hairs in three out of eight cases, but all of them experienced relapse in the long run. The literature review also suggested limited efficacy of repeating pulse therapy to severe AA cases. These findings suggested that the efficacy of currently conducted repetitive pulse therapy is limited in RP-AA cases with extensive perifollicular inflammation and resistant to the initial pulse therapy. Modulation of the dose and the interval of intervention, in combination with alternative approaches, may be required to achieve a successful outcome.

Alopecia Areata: An Update on Treatment Options for Children

Pediatric alopecia areata is a spectrum of autoimmune non-scarring alopecia in which some patients lose small patches of hair from their scalp but others lose more or all of the hair from the scalp and body, including eyebrows and eyelashes. Few studies have looked at therapies for this disorder in children, so much of the data are derived from adult literature and describe off-label use of medication. Generally, topical therapies consisting of topical steroids and topical irritating compounds/contact sensitizers are used. Systemic therapies that block the immune system, including Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, have also been used in this disease. This paper reviews the data on therapy for alopecia areata in pediatric patients.

Kombinierte Hoch-/Niedrig-Dosis-Therapie mit systemischen Glukokor-tikoiden bei schweren Verlaufsformen der Alopecia areata im Kindesalter

HINTERGRUND

Schwere Verlaufsformen der Alopecia areata (AA) im Kindesalter sind aufgrund limitierter Optionen therapeutisch herausfordernd. Systemische, hochdosierte Glukokortikoide weisen die schnellste Ansprechrate auf, nach dem Absetzen kommt es allerdings zu Rezidiven. Eine längerfristige Hochdosis-Anwendung ist aufgrund der zu erwartenden Nebenwirkungen nicht empfehlenswert. Eine dauerhafte Steroiderhaltungstherapie unterhalb der Cushing-Schwellen-Dosis nach Bolustherapie könnte die Krankheitsaktivität ohne Nebenwirkungen längerfristig unterdrücken.

PATIENTEN UND METHODIK

Im Rahmen einer offenen Anwendungsbeobachtung wurden 13 Kinder mit schweren Formen der AA in diese Studie eingeschlossen. Bei sieben Kindern lag eine AA totalis/universalis vor, bei sechs eine multifokale AA mit Befall von mehr als 50 % der Kopfhaut. Das Therapieregime sah eine initiale Prednisolon-Dosierung von 2 mg/kg Körpergeweicht (KG) vor und wurde innerhalb von neun Wochen auf eine Erhaltungsdosierung unter der individuellen Cushing-Schwelle reduziert. Der Nachbeobachtungszeitraum betrug ein bis drei Jahre.

ERGEBNISSE

Wir beobachteten in 62 % aller Fälle ein komplettes Nachwachsen der Haare. Die mittlere Dauer bis zum Ansprechen lag bei 6,6 Wochen und konnte mit der Erhaltungstherapie über den gesamten Beobachtungszeitraum aufrechterhalten werden. An Nebenwirkungen wurden ausschließlich eine Gewichtszunahme (1-3 kg) bei allen Behandelten sowie eine milde Steroidakne in 23 % der Fälle beobachtet.

SCHLUSSFOLGERUNGEN

Die kombinierte Hoch-/Niedrig-Dosis-Therapie mit systemischen Glukokortikoiden mittels Prednisolon zeigte eine hohe, dauerhafte Ansprechrate ohne signifikante Nebenwirkungen.

Current Treatments for Alopecia Areata

Selection of a therapy for a patient with alopecia areata (AA) is frequently based on the age of the patient, disease extent, perhaps disease duration, patient expectations, cost of therapy in terms of time commitment, and financial resources, as well as the results of screening laboratory studies that rule out the presence of other co-morbidities such as anemia, low iron stores, thyroid abnormalities, low vitamin D, or other autoimmune diseases. Although there is currently no cure for AA and no universally proven therapy that induces and sustains remission, many therapies are available which can be of benefit to both affected children and adults. Before selecting a treatment for patients with extensive long-standing AA, a scalp biopsy may provide useful information about the degree of inflammation and follicle differentiation. Recent clinical and translational research observations with the systemic Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors and interleukin-2 (IL-2) have excited the clinical and AA patient communities and have led to clinical trials, as well as to the off-label use of these more expensive and targeted systemic therapies.

Current treatment strategies in pediatric alopecia areata

Alopecia areata (AA) is a non-scarring autoimmune disease of the hair follicle that can present at any age. Pediatric cases are commonly seen in a dermatology clinic, and management can potentially be challenging, with a small proportion of cases experiencing a chronic relapsing course marked by distressing hair loss that can bring about significant psychosocial morbidity. We review the established treatments for pediatric alopecia areata, alongside second and third line therapies that have shown to be efficacious. We also offer a treatment algorithm as a guide to the treatment of pediatric AA.

[Treatment of alopecia areata with prednisone in a once-monthly oral pulse]

BACKGROUND

Various modalities have been used in the treatment of alopecia areata (AA), including pulsed oral corticosteroids. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pulsed oral prednisone in the management of AA.

METHODS

This was a prospective study in patients with progressive AA affecting more than 40% of the scalp. All patients received 5mg/kg (300 mg) oral prednisone once a month for 3 to 6 months and were examined for adverse effects. Hair growth was classified as complete, cosmetically acceptable, incomplete or no growth.

RESULTS

Thirty-four patients (18 men) with a mean age of 12+/-3 years were included. AA was ongoing for a mean 2 (1-17) years. Thirteen (38%) patients presented multifocal AA, six universalis (20%), six multifocal with ophiasic pattern (18%), six totalis (18%), and three ophiasic (6%). Six patients (18%) had no regrowth. At 3 months, incomplete or cosmetically acceptable response was noted in 28 patients (82%). At 6 months, 14 patients (41%) presented complete response, eight patients (23%) had a persistent incomplete response, and six patients (18%) had a persistent cosmetically acceptable response. Adverse effects were noted in five patients (15%). Variables predictive for no-growth response were nail involvement (P=0.001), associated dysimmunity (P=0.017), and universalis form (P=0.050).

CONCLUSION

A once-monthly oral pulse of 300 mg prednisone appears effective and safe. It can be recommended as first-line treatment for widespread AA.

The cumulative burden of oral corticosteroid side effects and the economic implications of steroid use

Oral corticosteroids (OCS) are a key part of therapy regimens for a diverse variety of conditions. Despite their efficacy, they are associated with a wide variety of adverse events. The purpose of this review was to identify the range of adverse events that have been reported to be related to oral corticosteroids, examine the factors that influence their incidence and estimate the economic burden caused by these adverse events. In 61 identified studies, 21 different categories of OCS related adverse events were reported with increased fracture risk being the category most frequently described. Most studies that examined factors linked to the incidence of OCS related adverse events found that dose, age, gender, duration of use, treatment history, smoking habits or cholesterol level were influential in determining risk. Additionally, a cumulative economic analysis of selected adverse events found the annual cost of treating these events in the UK to be at least 165 pounds per patient taking OCS. The clinical and economic burden of OCS related adverse events highlights the need for OCS sparing therapies to be developed.

Pulse corticosteroid therapy for alopecia areata: study of 139 patients

BACKGROUND/AIM

Recent reports of pulse corticosteroid therapy for alopecia areata (AA) show its efficacy for patients with a history of < or = 1 year but not for recalcitrant cases or alopecia totalis/universalis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pulse corticosteroid therapy for recent-onset AA patients.

METHOD

A total of 139 severe AA patients aged >15 years were included in this study. The duration from the onset of active hair loss was within 12 months for 125 (89.9%) of those patients.

RESULTS

Of the patients, 72.7% had hair loss on > 50% of their scalp area. Among the recent-onset group (duration of AA < or = 6 months), 59.4% were good responders (> 75% regrowth of alopecia lesions), while 15.8% with > 6 months duration showed a good response. Recent-onset AA patients with less severe disease (< or = 50% hair loss) responded at a rate of 88.0%, but only 21.4% of recent-onset patients with 100% hair loss responded. No serious adverse effects were observed.

Placebo-controlled oral pulse prednisolone therapy in alopecia areata

BACKGROUND

Systemic corticosteroids administered as pulse therapy have been found helpful in a wide array of diseases including alopecia areata (AA). None of the studies published so far regarding their use in AA have been randomized or placebo-controlled.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to compare the efficacy of weekly oral prednisolone pulse therapy in a placebo-controlled trial for patients with extensive AA.

METHODS

A total of 43 patients were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in group A (23 patients) were treated with oral prednisolone (200 mg once weekly, 5 40-mg tablets) and patients in group B (20 patients) were given placebo tablets on an identical schedule. The total study period was 6 months, consisting of 3 months of active therapy followed by another 3 months of observation.

RESULTS

Significant hair regrowth was obtained in 8 patients in the prednisolone-treated group. Two of the responders experienced a relapse during the observation period of 3 months. In the placebo group, none of the patients had significant hair regrowth at the end of the study.

CONCLUSION

Oral prednisolone pulse therapy is useful in AA. Placebo-controlled studies with varying dosage schedules are required to standardize the dose of prednisolone used in pulse therapy, optimize the therapeutic efficacy, and minimize side effects.

Alopecia areata: revisão e atualização

Trata-se de artigo de revisão em que são analisados os aspectos clínicos, histopatológicos, etiopatogênicos e a terapêutica atual da alopecia areata. Enfatiza-se a posição nosológica atual da alopecia areata como doença auto-imune que se desenvolve em substrato genético e discutem-se os possíveis mecanismos fisiopatológicos da enfermidade, bem como os tratamentos atuais, particularmente para as formas mais graves da doença, compreendendo terapêuticas imunomoduladoras tópicas com dibutilester do ácido esquárico e difenciprona e seus possíveis mecanismos de ação.

Alopecia areata: treatment of today and tomorrow

It is the aim of this article to review and appraise available data on treatments for alopecia areata (AA) according to the demands of evidence based medicine. Studies evaluating the efficacy of a treatment for AA should include appropriate controls, use cosmetically acceptable hair regrowth as a parameter for treatment success, include patients with AA totalis, universalis or extensive patchy AA, and exclude patients suffering from AA for less than 3 months. Moreover, the treatment must be safe over a prolonged period of time. Among the various therapeutic approaches presently available for AA, only treatment with contact sensitizers such as diphenylcyclopropenone or squaric acid dibutylester has been shown to be effective in studies that fulfill these criteria. Improved future treatments may be immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory targeting of the autoimmune pathogenesis of AA, or they may otherwise protect hair follicles from the injurious effects of inflammation. Such possible future therapeutic approaches include the incorporation of immunomodulatory agents into liposomes as an improved vehicle; inhibition of apoptosis mediated by the Fas-FasL system; inhibition of the lymphocyte homing receptor CD44v10; induction of tolerance.

High-dose pulse corticosteroid therapy in the treatment of severe alopecia areata

OBJECTIVE

The present monocenter prospective study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous high-dose methylprednisolone pulse therapy in patients with severe alopecia areata (AA).

METHODS

30 patients (aged 14-56 years) were treated with methylprednisolone (8 mg/kg body weight) intravenously on 3 consecutive days at 4-week intervals for at least 3 courses.

RESULTS

67% of patients with AA plurifocalis showed >50% regrowth of hair. None of the patients with AA totalis or universalis and only 1 patient with ophiasic AA responded to therapy. In patients with AA plurifocalis, higher response rates could be observed in those suffering from long-term disease compared to patients treated during their first episodes of AA (73 vs. 57%).

CONCLUSION

High-dose methylprednisolone pulse therapy is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for patients with severe AA plurifocalis but might be less beneficial for patients with ophasic AA, AA totalis or universalis.