Is atopy and autoimmunity more prevalent in patients with alopecia areata?
The frequencies of autoimmune and atopic diseases were not different between adult and paediatric patients and the control group. We did not find a statistically significance between disease severity and personal and family history of autoimmune disease in the two groups. Disease severity was not related to nail changes in the adult group. However, severe alopecia areata was more prevalent in children with nail changes. Furthermore, ophiasis pattern was more prevalent in the paediatric group with nail changes compared with the adult group.
P. aeruginosa internalization by epithelial cells occurs, albeit at very low levels, and is not sufficient to clear bacteria in the airway xenograft model. This model could be used for studying chronic respiratory infections in CF patients.