Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology (Jul 2020)
Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia. An Example of Disrupted Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Mediated Immunological Homeostasis in the Skin?
Abstract
Rowland Noakes Queensland Institute of Dermatology, South Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaCorrespondence: Rowland NoakesQueensland Institute of Dermatology, 10 Browning Street, South Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaTel +61 7 33294400Fax +61 7 3329 4455Email [email protected]: Sun protection has been recommended by public health authorities to reduce the risk of keratinocyte and melanocyte tumors, yet some sun exposure is required for vitamin D synthesis. Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a cicatricial alopecia that has been reported to have an association with facial photoprotection. The brief review proposes the hypothesis that FFA arises as a result of excessive facial photo-protection with a resultant disturbance in immunological homeostasis mediated via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-kynurenine pathway axis (AHR/KP) leading to the collapse of immune privilege at the hair bulge.Keywords: sun exposure, aryl hydrocarbon receptor, frontal fibrosing alopecia, 6-formylindolo [3, 2-b]carbazole
