Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

BackgroundIt is not known whether alopecia areata (AA) is associated with a greater or reduced risk for infection.AimWe undertook a population-based study exploring associations between AA and common infections.MethodsWe extracted primary care records from the UK Oxford-Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre database (trial registration: NCT04239521). The incidence of common and viral infection composite outcomes, and individual respiratory, gastrointestinal (GI), skin, urinary tract, genital and herpes infections, were compared in people with AA (AA group, n = 10 391) and a propensity-matched control group (n = 41 564). Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs), controlling for sociodemographic and clinical covariates, and comorbidities were used to estimate the association between AA and each infection over 5 years.ResultsThe incidence (per 100 person-years) of common infections was slightly higher in the AA group [14.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 13.8-14.6] than the control group (11.7, 95% CI 11.5-11.9). In adjusted analysis, positive associations were observed for composite outcomes (common infections aHR 1.13, 95% CI 1.09-1.17; viral infections aHR 1.11, 95% CI 1.07-1.16) and with respiratory tract, GI, skin and herpes simplex infections (aHR range 1.09-1.32). Excluding people in the control group without a recent consultation with their general practitioner showed no association between AA and infection (common infections aHR 1.01, 95% CI 0.98-1.05, viral infections aHR 0.99, 95% CI 0.95-1.03).ConclusionsThe association between AA and common infection may represent a higher propensity of people with AA to engage with healthcare services (and thereby to have infections recorded), rather than a true association between AA and infection. Overall our findings suggest that AA is not associated with a clinically significantly increased or decreased incidence of common infections.

Original publication

DOI

10.1093/ced/llac106

Type

Journal article

Journal

Clinical and experimental dermatology

Publication Date

12/2022

Addresses

University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.