P#07   Risk factors of alopecia areata in Belarus children

N.A. Gres, A.N. Arynchyn, O.O. Yanovich, L.V. Tkachenko. Research Institute for Radiation Medicine and Endocrinology, Minsk, Belarus

Goal : To study possible risk factors of alopecia areata (AA) in children. Methods : 160 children (79 boys and 81 girls) aged 4-16 with AA were under examination using standardized protocol. Localis AA was found in 55 boys and 62 girls, totalis AA - in 17 boys and 16 girls and universalis AA - in 7 boys and 3 girls. Regression analysis was used to find out relationships between frequency of different clinical forms of AA, age and sex. Results : More often somatic pathology in all children with AA were chronic gastroduodenitis (80%, P<0.05). In children with totalis and universalis AA endocrine disorders significantly prevailed in 78% of patients also as vegetative dysfunction (56%, P<0.05). There was no difference in the total number of somatic diseases per patient with AA (3.4 somatic diseases per patient with AA localis and 3.7 somatic diseases per patient with AA totalis and universalis). Genetic predisposition to AA was revealed in 28% of examined children. The initial patch of hair loss located at occiput was in 92% of children with totalis and universalis AA and in 45.5% of children with AA localis. Linear regression analysis showed that there is a significant inverse relationship between frequency of AA totalis and universalis and age of disease in all children, but particularly in girls. Onset of initial hair loss patches at the early age significantly increase risk of severe clinical forms of AA development with age, mostly in girls. It is possible to say, that girls aged 5-8 years with the onset of initial patch of hair loss could be estimated as a high risk group of the development of totalis and universalis AA. Conclusion : The obtained results support the idea that genetic predisposition and occiput onset of the initial hair loss patch could serve as a prognostic signs of the most severe clinical forms of AA in children. Girls aged 5-8 years with the onset of initial patch of hair loss could be estimated as a high risk group of the development of totalis and universalis AA