579 | id == 579
579 | category_id == 30
579 | category_order == 27
579 | category_name == Hair Loss
579 | category_color == #C47AC0
579 | slug == HLA-DQA2-alopecia-areata
579 | title == Genetics of Autoimmunity in Patchy Hair Loss (HLA-DQA2)
579 | meta_description == Increased activity of the HLA-DQA2 gene may contribute to autoimmunity. Learn about its link with alopecia areata.
579 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>Scientists have discovered variants in the <em>HLA-DQA2</em> gene with the strongest known impact on patchy hair loss! Read this post to learn your risk and get gene-based tips.</strong></p>
579 | overall_score_text == Your Alopecia Areata Score (based on HLA-DQA2 gene)
579 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/HLA-DQA2-Alopecia-areata.jpg
579 | author_id == 9
579 | author_name == Aleksa Ristic
579 | author_title == MS (Pharmacy)
579 | author_order == 45
579 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Aleksa.jpg
579 | author_intro == <p><strong>Aleksa received his MS in Pharmacy from the University of Belgrade, his master thesis focusing on protein sources in plant-based diets.</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>    <p>Aleksa is passionate about herbal pharmacy, nutrition, and functional medicine. He found a way to merge his two biggest passions&mdash;writing and health&mdash;and use them for noble purposes. His mission is to bridge the gap between science and everyday life, helping readers improve their health and feel better.</p>
579 | reviewer == None
579 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
579 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
579 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
579 | publish_date == 2020
579 | publish_date == 12
579 | publish_date == 30
579 | avg_rating == 5.0
579 | tags_id == 88
579 | tags_name == Alopecia Areata
579 | tags_id == 33
579 | tags_name == Autoimmunity
579 | tags_id == 1029
579 | tags_name == Hair Loss
579 | tags_id == 422
579 | tags_name == HLA complex
579 | tags_id == 1089
579 | tags_name == HLA-DQA2 gene
579 | permissions_favorite == False
579 | permissions_rate == False
579 | content_article == <h2><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><strong>Increased or altered activity of HLA genes may contribute to an autoimmune disruption of hair growth, as seen in alopecia areata.<br /><br /></strong><strong>Specific gene variants may increase HLA-DQA2 activity. They correlate with significantly higher odds of alopecia areata.<br /><br /></strong><strong>Read this post to learn the potential ways to stimulate hair growth by targeting HLA-DQA2 variants.</strong></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2><strong>The HLA-DQA2 Gene &amp; Hair Loss</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, including </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/hla-dqa2/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">HLA-DQA2</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, make proteins on </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/how-to-increase-and-decrease-white-blood-cells/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">white blood cells</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. HLA proteins flag harmful external components and stimulate the immune response against them [</span><a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/HLA-B"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alopecia areata</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (spot baldness or patchy hair loss) is an autoimmune condition in which immune cells attack the hair follicles and interrupt the hair growth cycle. Increased activity or impaired structure of HLA proteins may contribute to this process [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573125/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC474884/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of all gene variants, those in the HLA-DQA2 gene have the strongest known impact on alopecia areata [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921172/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4451186/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The HLA-DQA2 gene helps make a protein that stimulates the immune response against foreign substances. Increased HLA activity may contribute to an autoimmune disruption of hair growth, as seen in alopecia areata.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2><strong>Your HLA-DQA2 Results for Alopecia Areata</strong></h2> <p>*1049215351724213*</p> <p><strong>Primary SNP:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs9275572/"><strong>rs9275572</strong></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921172/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; - associated with relatively higher odds of alopecia areata</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; - associated with relatively lower odds of alopecia areata</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele may contribute to autoimmunity by increasing or altering HLA-DQA2 activity.</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>Another Important SNP:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs9275524/"><strong>rs9275524</strong></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4451186/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; - associated with relatively higher odds of alopecia areata</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; - associated with relatively lower odds of alopecia areata</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These two variants are always inherited together, so they act as a single genetic factor. This means you will either have both &lsquo;problematic&rsquo; genotypes or none of them.</span></p> <p>*9885630012744118*</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations to Boost Hair Growth</strong></h2> <p>*8191066068620525*</p> <h3><strong>UV Light Therapy</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Research suggests that UV light may reduce autoimmunity by suppressing HLA proteins [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4603567/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3626364/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">UV-A light therapy (combined with drugs that increase its activity) caused hair regrowth in most cases of alopecia areata in 5 clinical trials. This treatment was effective when applied through a specific (excimer) laser in three more studies [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6651314/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16164707/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16603835/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28233311/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30411986/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15523373/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18076615/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19840308/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">UV-B radiation may also help with patchy hair loss, in part by boosting vitamin D production [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31236672/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">UV light therapy may enhance hair growth in alopecia areata by targeting your gene variants.</span></p> <h3><strong>Vitamin D</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can combat autoimmune inflammation by reducing HLA activity [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6047889/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16046118"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Low blood vitamin D levels have been associated with increased incidence, severity, and duration of alopecia areata in multiple studies [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25058999/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29633370/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29869122/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29243839/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31110371/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sunlight</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> exposure is our primary vitamin D source, but people deficient in this vitamin may need to take oral supplements [</span><a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In one study, applying a topical vitamin D derivative (calcipotriol) caused partial hair regrowth in 75% and full regrowth in 27% of people with alopecia areata. This treatment may be equally effective as UV-B radiation [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26091388/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31236672/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Improving your vitamin D status and applying a topical vitamin D derivative may stimulate hair growth by targeting your HLA-DQA2 variants.</span></p> <h3><strong>Zinc</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/literally-everything-wanted-know-zinc-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zinc</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> deficiency may contribute to inflammation by stimulating HLA proteins [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425307/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One study associated patchy and diffuse hair loss with low blood zinc levels. The authors suggested that disturbed zinc metabolism played a crucial role in these conditions [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3870206/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In line with this, zinc supplementation may improve both conditions in people with zinc deficiency. In a trial of 73 women complaining of hair loss, zinc was especially effective when combined with </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-11-proven-uses-vitamin-b5/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">pantothenic acid</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20523772/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22741940/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5463555/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Good dietary sources of zinc include red meat, seafood, dairy products, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. People deficient in this mineral may need to take zinc supplements [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11053529/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Zinc deficiency may worsen the impact of your gene variants on hair loss. Prevent it by consuming zinc-rich foods, and consider taking zinc supplements.</span></p>
579 | content_snp_table_1049215351724213_key == 1049215351724213
579 | content_snp_table_1049215351724213_blur == True
579 | content_snp_table_1049215351724213_hidden == False
579 | content_learn_more_9885630012744118_key == 9885630012744118
579 | content_learn_more_9885630012744118_blur == True
579 | content_learn_more_9885630012744118_hidden == False
579 | content_learn_more_9885630012744118_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your HLA-DQA2 gene is associated with relatively higher odds of alopecia areata. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of alopecia areata; it’s just one gene related to it. Zinc and vitamin D may promote hair growth by targeting your variant. Keep scrolling to find out more.
579 | content_recommendation_8191066068620525_key == 8191066068620525
579 | content_recommendation_8191066068620525_blur == True
579 | content_recommendation_8191066068620525_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs9275572,rs9275524
rsStatus = rs9275572,,chr6,32711222,A,G,T,,4,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs9275524,,chr6,32707332,T,A,C,G,5,0,Normal
