what is the inheritance pattern of alopecia areta. I would appreciate it if you would give me a site for it.?

Question

What is the history of alopecia areta and who first discovered it. What is the inheritance pattern of this disease. Is it dominant, recessive, sex-linked, chromosomal, etc. I need a site, if you can, showing these details.

Answer 1

Here are several websites regarding alopecia areata:
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/alopecia/alopecia.htm
http://www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/AlopeciaAreata.htm
http://www.naaf.org/

As far as inheritance goes, if a family member has it, you have a one in five chance of also having it. Gender has no bearing as either sex can have it but it is most common in the young. It is an auto-immune disorder which means that the body's immune system attacks the hair follicles. The cause is unknown.

Since it is not genetic, if has nothing to do with genes or chromosomes....for example, one twin can have it while the other does not and it is not passed from parent to child.

I have no idea who discovered it nor could I find any information on it's discovery.

Answer 2

The term alopecia areata was first used in France in 1760 by Sauvages in his "Nosologica Medica".

Although the pattern of loss that we now know as alopecia areata was first described by Cornelius Celsus in 30 A.D.

Whilst it does appear in members that aslo have a family history there does not appear to be a direct genetic link.

Regards

Andy