583 | id == 583
583 | category_id == 30
583 | category_order == 27
583 | category_name == Hair Loss
583 | category_color == #C47AC0
583 | slug == IL21-alopecia-areata
583 | title == The Role of a Pro-Inflammatory Protein in Alopecia Areata (IL21)
583 | meta_description == IL21 is a pro-inflammatory protein. A variant of IL21 has been associated with alopecia areata. Read more here.
583 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>The <em>IL21</em> gene codes for a pro-inflammatory protein. Read more to find out how a variant of <em>IL21</em> may promote the function of this protein and increase the odds of developing alopecia areata.</strong></p>
583 | overall_score_text == Your Hair Loss Score (based on IL21 gene)
583 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/RAET1L-Alopecia-areata.jpg
583 | author_id == 14
583 | author_name == Shany Lahan
583 | author_title == MS (Neuroscience)
583 | author_order == 5
583 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Shany.webp
583 | author_intro == <p>Shany received her MSc in Neuroscience from Western University.</p>    <p>Prior to joining SelfDecode, Shany conducted research related to Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, and taught science to undergraduate students. She believes that research should be accessible to everyone, regardless of scientific background. Shany joined SelfDecode&nbsp;with a mission to help others optimize their health and wellbeing &ndash; as well as help them understand the science behind it all.</p>
583 | reviewer == None
583 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
583 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
583 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
583 | publish_date == 2020
583 | publish_date == 12
583 | publish_date == 31
583 | avg_rating == 5.0
583 | tags_id == 88
583 | tags_name == Alopecia Areata
583 | tags_id == 926
583 | tags_name == Autoantibodies
583 | tags_id == 33
583 | tags_name == Autoimmunity
583 | tags_id == 242
583 | tags_name == B cells
583 | tags_id == 1029
583 | tags_name == Hair Loss
583 | tags_id == 889
583 | tags_name == IL-21
583 | tags_id == 1094
583 | tags_name == IL21 Gene
583 | tags_id == 24
583 | tags_name == Inflammation
583 | tags_id == 442
583 | tags_name == T Cells
583 | tags_id == 925
583 | tags_name == Th17
583 | permissions_favorite == False
583 | permissions_rate == False
583 | content_article == <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL21</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> codes for a protein with a wide range of pro-inflammatory and self-targeting functions. A variant of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL21 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">may play a role in alopecia areata by increasing levels of IL-21. Lifestyle, diet, and supplement modifications may counteract the effects of this variant by lowering IL-21 production, reducing pro-inflammatory cell activity, and/or promoting the activity of regulatory cells.</span></span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>IL21</em></strong><strong> and Alopecia Areata</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/il21/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL21</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">gene codes for interleukin 21 (IL-21), an immune messenger (cytokine) with a wide range of pro-inflammatory and self-targeting (autoimmune) functions [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/59067"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30773373/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, IL-21 is involved in the development of inflammatory T cell subsets, such as </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/th17/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Th17</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> cells [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17032244/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3805028/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17581589/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elevated levels of cytokines released from Th17 cells are often observed in autoimmune disorders, such as </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">alopecia areata</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (spot baldness). In fact, higher Th17 cytokine levels have been linked to increased alopecia areata severity [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30773373/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29283462/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL-21 also suppresses </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/treg/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">regulatory T cells</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/treg/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tregs</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) that normally function to prevent autoimmunity, while stimulating cellular pathways in B cells that may promote the release of self-targeting antibodies (autoantibodies) [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30773373/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL21 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">have been associated with alopecia areata. These variants may increase the production of IL-21, leading to the development of pro-inflammatory and autoreactive immune cells [</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://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30773373/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30980732/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26235375/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>IL21</em></strong><strong> Results for Alopecia Areata</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*1411405275707531*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Primary SNP:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>IL21 </em></strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs7682241/"><strong>rs7682241</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 style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Higher odds of alopecia areata</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Not associated with alopecia areata</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;">*5211810111204085*</p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Recommendations for Managing Alopecia Areata</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*4709681469279365*</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Light Therapy</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a study of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/causes-symptoms-diagnosis-risk-factors-of-multiple-sclerosis/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">multiple sclerosis</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> patients, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">UVB</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> light therapy was suggested to boost Tregs, attenuate inflammation, and ameliorate symptoms, in part by lowering levels of IL-21 [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24771567/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">UVA light therapy combined with drugs that increase the sensitivity of the skin to this radiation (methoxsalen and psoralen) promoted hair regrowth, without causing major adverse effects, in 5 trials of alopecia areata patients [</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></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This radiation was also effective when applied through targeted treatments with an excimer laser in 3 trials of people with alopecia areata [</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 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2 small trials of people with alopecia areata, </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/my-review-of-lllt/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LLLT</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> with </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/infrared-radiation-benefits/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">infrared radiation</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for 3 minutes every week or every 2 weeks sped up hair regrowth in most patients [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12956694/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16581682/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Light therapy may help manage alopecia areata by lowering IL-21 levels and boosting Tregs.</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Aromatherapy</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an animal study, topical </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/lavender-health-benefits/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">lavender</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> oil reduced the severity of psoriasis (another autoimmune disorder), partly by lowering levels of IL-21 [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32623016/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a trial of people with alopecia areata, massaging the essential oils of lavender, thyme, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/benefits-rosemary/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rosemary</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and Atlantic cedar into the scalp improved symptoms in 44% of the patients [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9828867/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Aromatherapy may help manage alopecia areata by lowering levels of IL-21.</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Diet</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Zinc-Rich Foods</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><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 has been observed to boost the development and activity of Th17 cells while lowering the function of Tregs, suggesting that sufficient zinc intake may prevent this pro-inflammatory immune shift [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30316032/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31783404/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One study associated patchy (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">alopecia</span></em> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">areata</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) and diffuse (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">telogen</span></em> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">effluvium</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) hair loss with low blood zinc levels. The authors suggested that disturbed zinc metabolism plays a key 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 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In line with this, zinc supplementation improved both conditions in 2 small trials of people who also had zinc deficiency. In a trial of women complaining of hair loss, zinc was especially effective when combined with calcium </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-11-proven-uses-vitamin-b5/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">pantothenate</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 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Good dietary sources of zinc include red meat, seafood, dairy products, nuts, legumes, and whole grains [</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 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Zinc-rich foods may help manage alopecia areata by lowering the activity of Th17 cells while simultaneously boosting Treg function.</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Supplements</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Topical Vitamin D</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers studying autoimmune thyroid disorders (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/graves-disease/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Graves&rsquo; disease</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/hashimotos/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hashimoto&rsquo;s disease</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) found blood </span><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;"> levels to be low and IL-21 levels to be high in patients with these disorders. In other studies, vitamin D supplementation lowered the production of IL-21 or its receptor (required for mediating IL-21 activity) [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32360157/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33305818/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31371976/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><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 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a trial focused on alopecia areata patients, a synthetic derivative of vitamin D (calcipotriol) applied topically for 12 weeks resulted in a minimum of 50% hair regrowth in 75% of patients, and full regrowth in 27% of patients. Both this chemical and UV-B radiation (which stimulates vitamin D production) were similarly effective in another trial [</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 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Topical vitamin D may help manage alopecia areata by lowering levels of IL-21 or its receptor. </span></p>
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583 | content_learn_more_5211810111204085_key == 5211810111204085
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583 | content_learn_more_5211810111204085_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your IL21 gene makes you somewhat more likely to develop alopecia areata. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of alopecia areata; it’s just one gene related to it. Light therapy, aromatherapy, zinc-rich foods, and topical vitamin D may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs7682241
rsStatus = rs7682241,,chr4,122602720,G,A,T,,35,0,Normal
