Is There a Pathogenetic Relationship Between Alopecia Areata and Familial Mediterranean Fever?

Alopecia areata (AA) is type of autoimmune, T-cell-mediated disease with abnormal expression of MHC Class I, a common reason for non-scarring hair loss. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a hereditary autoinflammatory disease characterized by periodic fever and serositis. Various diseases and conditions that may be related to FMF have been reported. It has been known that patients with FMF are vulnerable to MHC Class I-related diseases. The co-existence of the two MHC Class I group-associated entities, FMF and AA, has not been reported in the literature. Here, we present three cases with AA and FMF and discuss the possible common pathway in their pathogenesis.