The role of inflammation and immunity in the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia.

J Drugs Dermatol. 2011 Dec 1;10(12):1404-11.
The role of inflammation and immunity in the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia.
Magro CM, Rossi A, Poe J, Manhas-Bhutani S, Sadick N.

Background: Female pattern hair loss affects many women; its pathogenetic basis has been held to be similar to men with common baldness. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the role of immunity and inflammation in androgenetic alopecia in women and modulate therapy according to inflammatory and immunoreactant profiles. Materials and Methods: 52 women with androgenetic alopecia (AA) underwent scalp biopsies for routine light microscopic assessment and direct immunofluroescent studies. In 18 patients, serologic assessment for antibodies to androgen receptor, estrogen receptor and cytokeratin 15 was conducted. Results: A lymphocytic folliculitis targeting the bulge epithelium was observed in many cases. Thirty-three of 52 female patients had significant deposits of IgM within the epidermal basement membrane zone typically accompanied by components of complement activation. The severity of changes light microscopically were more apparent in the positive immunoreactant group. Biopsies from men with androgenetic alopecia showed a similar pattern of inflammation and immunoreactant deposition. Serologic assessment for antibodies to androgen receptor, estrogen receptor or cytokeratin 15 were negative. Combined modality therapy with minocycline and topical steroids along with red light produced consistent good results in the positive immunoreactant group compared to the negative immunoreactant group. Conclusion: A lymphocytic microfolliculitis targeting the bulge epithelium along with deposits of epithelial basement membrane zone immunoreactants are frequent findings in androgenetic alopecia and could point toward an immunologically driven trigger. Cases showing a positive immunoreactant profile respond well to combined modality therapy compared to those with a negative result. J Drugs Dermatol. 2011;10(12):1404-1411.

This is the first study I have seen that confirms what many of us on this board have presumed. AGA is in large part, a result of an infection.

an infection always produces inflammation. Presence of inflammation reduces blood flow and oxygen to the affected area.

As for the treatment suggested, it is not safe. So the natural alternative is Ecklonia cava (not minocycline), elimination of factors that create inflammation, etc.

This is what your regimen corrected in me CS. Ecklonia Cava effectively replaced Doxycycline without the side effects. I also believe Krill, Boost and Decalcify are huge inflammation reducers. If I ever go without any of those I feel out of balance.

hadrion wrote:This is what your regimen corrected in me CS. Ecklonia Cava effectively replaced Doxycycline without the side effects. I also believe Krill, Boost and Decalcify are huge inflammation reducers. If I ever go without any of those I feel out of balance.

What were you taking doxycycline for?

CausticSymmetry wrote:This is the first study I have seen that confirms what many of us on this board have presumed. AGA is in large part, a result of an infection.

an infection always produces inflammation. Presence of inflammation reduces blood flow and oxygen to the affected area.

As for the treatment suggested, it is not safe. So the natural alternative is Ecklonia cava (not minocycline), elimination of factors that create inflammation, etc.

So are toxic metals not directly responsible, but rather make the body more prone to infection? Do we have any idea what the infection is? Are antibiotics known to grow hair?

Paradox wrote:

CausticSymmetry wrote:This is the first study I have seen that confirms what many of us on this board have presumed. AGA is in large part, a result of an infection.

an infection always produces inflammation. Presence of inflammation reduces blood flow and oxygen to the affected area.

As for the treatment suggested, it is not safe. So the natural alternative is Ecklonia cava (not minocycline), elimination of factors that create inflammation, etc.

So are toxic metals not directly responsible, but rather make the body more prone to infection? Do we have any idea what the infection is? Are antibiotics known to grow hair?

In the case of this infection, it could be caused by one or several factors. Heavy metals are a very common source, especially since they are unavoidable and even the most distant animals from civilization that have uncommonly high levels.

Oral pathology is quite a huge factor as well (gum, crown, tooth, socket infections), ala root canal, infected crown, cavitations and gum diseases).

Thyroid (low or high), due to deficiency of essential minerals, such as iodine, zinc, magnesium and selenium.

Other causes are diet, which is variable. Although to be more specific, wheat/gluten for some, refined vegetable oils and hydrogenated oils are all bad for everyone. Pasteurized milk is a big one too. Alcohol can be detrimental if it is consumed regularly. This is variable.

Mold toxicity. This is an often overlooked cause and it is worse than heavy metal toxicity. Water contaminated buildings can turn on an innate immune response, which causes a chronic elevation of inflammatory markers (including those involved in hair loss). Search for toxic mold on the forum for info on this.

Pharmaceuticals (patent medications), the destroyers of enzymes and the blocker of essential pathways can lead to hair loss and many do. They often do this by suppressing the thyroid.

Endocrine disruptors (xenoestrogens), BPA and other substances that interfere with hormone metabolism.

Antibiotics - Destroying the immune system, altering hormone metabolism and blood sugar metabolism.

I'm sure I left some things out, but these are probably key.

To add to the mold toxicity I've recently become absolutely shocked at the mold in food. It's worse than most realize. Before I thought it was isolated to a few foods like corn, peanut butter, etc.. Things that have been discussed before on this site and others. However, it's much much worse being in almost all foods... including meat (unless grass fed), milk, butter and other fatty foods, as well as basically all processed foods to varying degrees and most grains.

I bet the percentage on this forum have a similar percentage as floridadetox.com that 80% of everyone they see has a genetic issue preventing mold/lyme toxin from being detoxed and instead builds up in their body.

What's one of the best ways that someone can detox from mold?

see this link http://www.royalrife.com/mold_summary.pdf

last couple minutes of this video https://immortalhair.forumotion.com/t6735-mycotoxins

and avoidance of food that has mold in it which is the very tricky part.

Beyond the above info, if you have mold in your home and besides the info from the first link, Young Living thieves oil before HEPA filters. The expensive IQ Air filter would be better than most HEPA filters... I own both but again, diffusing thieves oil before HEPA filters.

MMS can be placed directly on the mold. I've heard of ammonia can be used as well which will also kill the mycotoxins as well as the mold. Have heard ammonia bath for those with severe mold problem with one cut ammonia in the bath. Ammonia also used in washing machine as well as mycotoxins will come out of the skin and contaminate the clothing.

Besides, the info from the second link, other possible top remedies that would help would be niacinamide and methionine to help liver detox mycotoxins. Great Tea or green tea extract not sure which. And if consuming a high mold food at the time yogurt... best would be 24 hour SCD yogurt.

A harmony united chip also appears to help greatly to alleviate mold issues as well IME... by strengthening the body

Interestingly, I wouldn't be surprised if the reason why super high dose Saw Palmetto worked for my hair loss many years ago was due to it detoxing mold.

I should also mention EMF/WiFi being connected here in that Dr. K's info has shown mold grows much faster in response and much more potent biotoxins are released in response to EMF/WiFi.

A good quote from Dr. K.

"•When two mold cultures were separated in a research experiment and one was exposed to EMF while the other was not, the one exposed to EMF had 600 times more toxic biotoxins and its growth rate was dozens of times faster.
•It may be the case that EMF itself may not harm our body's cells, but it may impact the microbes within us which results in more biotoxins." A good link = http://products.mercola.com/klinghardt-dvd/

IMHO Infection is secondary in mpb.

It starts with a generic potientiality. Then comes an environmental trigger. Inflammation occurs, bacteria joins the party, hairloss proceeds.

This makes beautiful harmoney out of the recent study CS posted regarding the MPB "gene" being HDAC9, which is, all to itself an arm of the immune system.