New gene interaction found to increase the risk of frontal fibrosing alopecia

New gene interaction found to increase the risk of frontal fibrosing alopecia

Researchers at King’s College London, led by Dr Tziotzios, have found that two genetic factors act together to increase the risk of frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA).

FFA is an inflammatory, scarring form of hair loss that affects mainly women. Since it was first described in 1994, the number of people affected has increased sharply, and its causes are still not fully understood.

The team carried out the largest genome-wide association study of FFA to date, combining data from four groups of women with the condition in the UK and Europe. The analysis showed that particular variants in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genes, which help the immune system recognise targets, interact with variants in a second gene, ERAP1. The combination increases the risk of FFA. When one gene changes the effect of another in this way, geneticists call it epistasis.

ERAP1 trims the protein fragments that MHC class I molecules display to immune cells. The interaction therefore suggests that the way these fragments are processed and presented to the immune system plays a part in causing FFA. This points to possible targets for future treatment.

The study was published in JAMA Dermatology and funded by the British Skin Foundation and the Medical Research Council. Read the paper · Original King’s College London news story