Alopecia Areata and Hidradenitis Suppurativa: The Vitamin D Connection

Patients with certain autoimmune disorders of the skin should be screened for vitamin D deficiency.

Unquestionable evidence demonstrates that vitamin D prevents osteoporosis. But vitamin D receptors are expressed on many cell types, not just those necessary for bone health, lending credence to the theory that vitamin D contributes to the physiology of normal tissue, and its dysregulation encourages several pathological processes, including cancer, autoimmunity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Vitamin D receptors reside on keratinocytes in the epidermis and in hair follicle cells, where they promote epidermal differentiation and follicle growth.

One group of investigators evaluated the relationship between circulating vitamin D levels and alopecia areata (AA). They compared wintertime serum levels in 86 patients with various stages of…

Reviewing Author

Craig A. Elmets, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board Astellas Pharmaceuticals

EquityVaxin

Grant / Research support NIH; NIH/NCI; Veteran’s Administration; Ferndale Laboratories; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Pharma, Inc.

Editorial boards Cancer Prevention Research; Photodermatology, Photoimmunology, & Photomedicine; UpToDate; eMedicine; Journal of Dermatological Sciences; JAMA Dermatology

Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Vice Chair, Committee on Science and Research); Photomedicine Society (Board of Directors)