Alteration of serum and tissue tumor necrosis factor alpha levels: A possible mechanism of action of oral pulse steroids in the treatment of alopecia areata

Summary Background Alopecia areata (AA) is a multifactorial disease in which tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) plays an important role. Objective To study the effect of oral pulse steroids on both serum and tissue levels of TNF‐α in AA patients. Methods Skin biopsies and serum samples were collected from 20 patients with patchy AA before and after treatment (oral prednisolone for two consecutive days every week for 3 months) for determination of the levels of TNF‐α levels using ELISA technique. Results Both serum and tissue levels of TNF‐α in AA patients were significantly higher than in controls before (P