Expression of Snail1 in the fibrotic dermis of postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia: possible involvement of an epithelial-mesenchymal transition and a review of the Japanese patients.

摘要

Madam, Postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia is characterized by a progressive frontotemporal recession due to a scarring hair loss. Histological examination shows a reduction or loss of terminal hair follicles and a replacement by fibrosis around the affected hair follicles. Lymphocytic infiltration is usually observed in a lichenoid pattern in the upper dermis. Although postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia is considered as a variant of lichen planopilaris, its exact pathogenesis still remains to be clarified. We report a patient with postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia showing expression of Snail 1 in the fibrotic dermis, suggesting a role for epithelial-mesen-chymal transition in the pathogenesis.