{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,8]],"date-time":"2026-08-08T21:05:24Z","timestamp":1786223124453,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"22","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,19]],"date-time":"2021-11-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1637280000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Alopecia areata is an autoimmune, inflammatory form of non-scarring hair loss that may affect any hair-bearing area. Recently, an increased risk of cardiovascular disorders has been described in patients with alopecia areata. The aim of the study was to evaluate the serum concentrations of proinflammatory proteins associated with atherosclerosis (chemokine C-C motif ligand 4; CCL4, chemokine C-C motif ligand 7, CCL7; and sortilin, SORT1), and cardiovascular risk (myeloperoxidase, MPO; interleukin 1 receptor-like 1, IL1RL1; and growth differentiation factor 15, GDF15) in patients with alopecia areata without symptoms or prior cardiovascular disease in comparison with healthy controls. Sixty otherwise healthy patients with alopecia areata and twenty control subjects matched for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) were enrolled in the study. No significant differences in the serum levels of MPO, IL1RL1, CCL4, CCL7, SORT1, and GDF15 were detected between patients with alopecia areata and healthy controls. A positive correlation was found between the serum concentration of CCL7 and the severity of alopecia areata (r = 0.281, p = 0.03), while GDF15 correlated with age at the disease onset (r = 0.509, p &lt; 0.0001). The results of the present study suggest that the severity of alopecia areata may be associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10225418","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,21]],"date-time":"2021-11-21T20:58:21Z","timestamp":1637528301000},"page":"5418","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["Chemokine C-C Motif Ligand 7 (CCL7), a Biomarker of Atherosclerosis, Is Associated with the Severity of Alopecia Areata: A Preliminary Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Anna","family":"Wa\u015bkiel-Burnat","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-008 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Niemczyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-008 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leszek","family":"Blicharz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-008 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paulina","family":"Chmieli\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-008 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3211-4278","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Micha\u0142","family":"Zaremba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-008 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5083-7587","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aleksandra","family":"G\u0105secka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1st Chair and Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1a, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6563-0877","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Krzysztof J.","family":"Filipiak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Clinical Sciences, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Medical Academy, Pa\u0142ac Lubomirskich, Plac \u017belaznej Bramy 10, 00-136 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ma\u0142gorzata","family":"Olszewska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-008 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lidia","family":"Rudnicka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-008 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"174","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cjca.2010.12.040","article-title":"Chronic inflammatory diseases and cardiovascular risk: A systematic review","volume":"27","author":"Roifman","year":"2011","journal-title":"Can. J. Cardiol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.1111\/jdv.15279","article-title":"The value of dermoscopy in diagnosing eyebrow loss in patients with alopecia areata and frontal fibrosing alopecia","volume":"33","author":"Rakowska","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Eur. Acad. Dermatol. Venereol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.1016\/j.det.2012.08.010","article-title":"Alopecia areata update","volume":"31","author":"Alkhalifah","year":"2013","journal-title":"Dermatol. Clin."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaut.2018.12.001","article-title":"Alopecia areata: A multifactorial autoimmune condition","volume":"98","author":"Simakou","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Autoimmun"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e214","DOI":"10.1111\/jdv.16936","article-title":"Systemic aspects of alopecia areata Comment to the article by Lai and Sinclair","volume":"35","author":"Rudnicka","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Eur. Acad. Dermatol. Venereol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e128","DOI":"10.1111\/jdv.16864","article-title":"Prevalence of cardiac and metabolic diseases among patients with alopecia areata","volume":"35","author":"Conic","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Eur. Acad. Dermatol. Venereol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"370","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaad.2020.04.138","article-title":"Cross-sectional study of blood biomarkers of patients with moderate to severe alopecia areata reveals systemic immune and cardiovascular biomarker dysregulation","volume":"84","author":"Glickman","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Am. Acad. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1406","DOI":"10.1111\/cea.13729","article-title":"Bidirectional association between alopecia areata and atopic dermatitis: A population-based cohort study in Taiwan","volume":"50","author":"Wei","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin. Exp. Allergy"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.4103\/ijd.IJD_238_18","article-title":"Assessment of Metabolic Profile and Ischemia-modified Albumin Level in Patients with Alopecia Areata: A Case-Control Study","volume":"64","author":"Akdogan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Indian J. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"470","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaad.2017.10.048","article-title":"Objective outcome measures: Collecting meaningful data on alopecia areata","volume":"79","author":"Olsen","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Am. Acad. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.4103\/0019-5154.147786","article-title":"Dermoscopic findings in scalp psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis; two new signs; signet ring vessel and hidden hair","volume":"60","author":"Kibar","year":"2015","journal-title":"Indian J. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"763","DOI":"10.1001\/jamadermatol.2020.1133","article-title":"Time-Dependent Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Alopecia Areata in Korea","volume":"156","author":"Shin","year":"2020","journal-title":"JAMA Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11718","DOI":"10.1038\/srep11718","article-title":"Alopecia Areata Increases the Risk of Stroke: A 3-year Follow-Up Study","volume":"5","author":"Kang","year":"2015","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lee, H., Kim, Y.C., and Choi, J.W. (2021). Alopecia areata is not a risk factor for heart diseases: A 10-year retrospective cohort study. PLoS ONE, 16.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0250216"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaad.2016.02.1234","article-title":"Cardiovascular risk in patients with alopecia areata (AA): A propensity-matched retrospective analysis","volume":"75","author":"Huang","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Am. Acad. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"776","DOI":"10.2340\/00015555-2964","article-title":"Alopecia Areata is Associated with Increased Expression of Heart Disease Biomarker Cardiac Troponin I","volume":"98","author":"Wang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Acta Derm. Venereol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liu, Y., Cai, Y., Liu, L., Wu, Y., and Xiong, X. (2018). Crucial biological functions of CCL7 in cancer. PeerJ, 6.","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.4928"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1016\/j.atherosclerosis.2011.04.002","article-title":"Monocyte chemotactic protein-3 induces human coronary smooth muscle cell proliferation","volume":"217","author":"Maddaluno","year":"2011","journal-title":"Atherosclerosis"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"692","DOI":"10.1161\/CIRCRESAHA.115.306361","article-title":"Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in Atherosclerosis","volume":"118","author":"Bennett","year":"2016","journal-title":"Circ. Res."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1273","DOI":"10.1038\/nm.3284","article-title":"B lymphocytes trigger monocyte mobilization and impair heart function after acute myocardial infarction","volume":"19","author":"Zouggari","year":"2013","journal-title":"Nat. Med."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e012826","DOI":"10.1161\/JAHA.119.012826","article-title":"Roles of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 in Atherosclerosis and Coronary Artery Disease","volume":"8","author":"Wang","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Am. Heart Assoc."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tzikas, S., Palapies, L., Bakogiannis, C., Zeller, T., Sinning, C., Baldus, S., Bickel, C., Vassilikos, V., Lackner, K.J., and Zeiher, A. (2017). GDF-15 predicts cardiovascular events in acute chest pain patients. PLoS ONE, 12.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0182314"}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/10\/22\/5418\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T07:33:05Z","timestamp":1760167985000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/10\/22\/5418"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,19]]},"references-count":22,"journal-issue":{"issue":"22","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm10225418"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm10225418","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2077-0383","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,19]]}}}