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Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune-mediated disorder in which the proximal hair follicle (HF) attack results in non-scarring partial to total scalp or body hair loss. Despite the growing knowledge about AA, its exact cause still needs to be understood. However, immunity and genetic factors are affirmed to be critical in AA development. While the genome-wide association studies proved the innate and acquired immunity involvement, AA mouse models implicated the IFN-γ- and cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell-mediated immune response as the main drivers of disease pathogenesis. The AA hair loss is caused by T-cell-mediated inflammation in the HF area, disturbing its function and disrupting the hair growth cycle without destroying the follicle. Thus, the loss of HF immune privilege, autoimmune HF destruction mediated by cytotoxic mechanisms, and the upregulation of inflammatory pathways play a crucial role. AA is associated with concurrent systemic and autoimmune disorders such as atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, psoriasis, and thyroiditis. Likewise, the patient’s quality of life (QoL) is significantly impaired by morphologic disfigurement caused by the illness. The patients experience a negative impact on psychological well-being and self-esteem and may be more likely to suffer from psychiatric comorbidities. This manuscript aims to present the latest knowledge on the pathogenesis of AA, which involves genetic, epigenetic, immunological, and environmental factors, with a particular emphasis on immunopathogenesis.

Lichen planus is a chronic disease affecting the skin, appendages, and mucous membranes. A cutaneous lichen planus is a rare disease occurring in less than 1% of the general population, while oral illness is up to five times more prevalent; still, both forms equally impair the patient’s quality of life. The etiology of lichen planus is not entirely understood. Yet, immune-mediated mechanisms have been recognized since environmental factors such as hepatitis virus infection, mechanical trauma, psychological stress, or microbiome changes can trigger the disease in genetically susceptible individuals. According to current understanding, lichen planus immunopathogenesis is caused by cell-mediated cytotoxicity, particularly cytotoxic T lymphocytes, whose activity is further influenced by Th1 and IL-23/Th-17 axis. However, other immunocytes and inflammatory pathways complement these mechanisms. This paper presents a comprehensive insight into the actual knowledge about lichen planus, with the causal genetic and environmental factors being discussed, the immunopathogenesis described, and the principal effectors of its inflammatory circuits identified.

Vitiligo is an acquired immune-mediated disorder of pigmentation clinically characterized by well-defined depigmented or chalk-white macules and patches on the skin. The prevalence of vitiligo varies by geographical area, affecting 0.5% to 2% of the population. The disease imposes a significant psychological burden due to its major impact on patients’ social and emotional aspects of life. Given its autoimmune background, vitiligo is frequently associated with other autoimmune diseases or immune-mediated diseases. Vitiligo is a multifaceted disorder that involves both genetic predisposition and environmental triggers. In recent years, major predisposing genetic loci for the development of vitiligo have been discovered. The current findings emphasize the critical role of immune cells and their mediators in the immunopathogenesis of vitiligo. Oxidative-stress-mediated activation of innate immunity cells such as dendritic cells, natural killer, and ILC-1 cells is thought to be a key event in the early onset of vitiligo. Innate immunity cells serve as a bridge to adaptive immunity cells including T helper 1 cells, cytotoxic T cells and resident memory T cells. IFN-γ is the primary cytokine mediator that activates the JAK/STAT pathway, causing keratinocytes to produce the key chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10. Complex interactions between immune and non-immune cells finally result in apoptosis of melanocytes. This paper summarizes current knowledge on the etiological and genetic factors that contribute to vitiligo, with a focus on immunopathogenesis and the key cellular and cytokine players in the disease’s inflammatory pathways.

Psoriasis is a recurrent, chronic, immune-mediated, systemic inflammatory disease of the skin, joints, and other organic systems. After atopic dermatitis, chronic stationary psoriasis is the most common inflammatory skin disease, affecting an average of 2–4% of the world’s population. The disease carries a significant burden due to its numerous comorbidities and the major impact on patients’ social and emotional aspects of life. According to current knowledge, psoriasis is a multifactorial disease that occurs in genetically predisposed individuals under various environmental factors, which trigger an immune response disorder with a series of complex inflammatory cascades. The disease is initiated and maintained by mutual interaction of the innate and adaptive immune cells, primarily dendritic cells, T lymphocytes, and keratinocytes, whose leading role alternates at different stages of the disease, consisting mainly in the IL-23/Th17 pathway. Inflammatory events result in consequent epidermal and dermal changes and evolution of the characteristic psoriatic phenotype, respectively. This paper aims to present a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on psoriasis genetic and environmental etiological factors, immunopathogenesis, and the leading cellular and cytokine participants in the inflammatory pathways of this disease.