Serum levels of IL-18 and sIL-2R in patients with alopecia areata receiving combined therapy with oral cyclosporine and steroids.

This study was to determine which immunologic factors contribute to the prognosis of patients with alopecia areata (AA) who were receiving oral cyclosporine A and methylprednisolone. Patients with > 25% hair regrowth were defined as responders, and patients exhibiting < or = 25% regrowth were poor-responders. The serum levels of IL-18 and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) were measured at baseline in 21 patients with AA and 22 control subjects. The mean serum level of IL-18 in the patients with extensive AA was significantly higher than that in the control subjects. The mean serum concentration of sIL-2R in the AA patients significantly decreased after 1 month of treatment. The mean basal serum level of IL-18 was highest in the responder, whereas the baseline level of sIL-2R was significantly higher in the poor-responder group than other groups. In conclusion, increased serum sIL-2R level and lower IL-18 level at baseline was associated with a poor prognosis in patients with AA.