Evaluation of the Efficacy and Tolerability of Treatment With Interleukin-2 in Severe and Resistant Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease associated with infiltration of cluster of differentiation 4(CD4 +) and cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8) + cells around the hair follicles. One of the therapeutic approaches of inflammatory diseases such as alopecia areata is the induction of tolerance. This tolerance induction can be obtained by stimulating regulatory T cells (Treg). The low-dose interleukin-2 plays a central role in the development, expansion, regulation and survival of regulatory T cells CD4 + cluster of differentiation 25 (CD25) + forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3). Recently, recombinant interleukin 2 (IL2-R) with low dose showed very promising results in two inflammatory disease (GVHD vasculitis and cryoglobulinemia secondary to hepatitis C): clinical efficacy, increased population Treg in the blood and an excellent safety profile. We hypothesized that administration of IL2-R in patients with severe alopecia areata might allow regrowth via activation of Treg and thus induce regrowth of the air.