Ying-Xiu Dai1, Ying-Hsuan Tai2, Chih-Chiang Chen3, Yun-Ting Chang1, Tzeng-Ji Chen4, Mu-Hong Chen5. 1. Department of Dermatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. 2. School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Anesthesiology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. 3. Department of Dermatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. 4. School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 5. School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: kremer7119@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) has long been associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, most evidence to date has derived from cross-sectional or case-control studies. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the bidirectional association between AA and MDD among probands and unaffected siblings. METHODS: Study participants were recruited from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. We included 2123 probands with AA, 2298 unaffected siblings, and 9192 matched controls to assess the risk of MDD. We included 16,543 probands with MDD, 17,352 unaffected siblings, and 69,408 matched controls to assess the risk of AA. The Breslow-Cox model was used to calculate the adjusted relative risk. RESULTS: Compared with controls, AA probands and unaffected siblings had adjusted relative risks of 8.22 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.41-10.54) and 2.55 (95% CI, 1.91-3.40), respectively, for MDD. MDD probands and unaffected siblings had adjusted relative risks for AA of 1.66 (95% CI, 1.24-2.22) and 1.64 (95% CI, 1.27-2.12), respectively. LIMITATION: The National Health Insurance Research Database lacked information on disease severity, body mass index, smoking habit, alcohol consumption, and stressful life events. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated a bidirectional association between AA and MDD among probands and unaffected siblings, thus suggesting shared familial mechanisms underlying AA and MDD.
BACKGROUND:Alopecia areata (AA) has long been associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, most evidence to date has derived from cross-sectional or case-control studies. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the bidirectional association between AA and MDD among probands and unaffected siblings. METHODS: Study participants were recruited from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. We included 2123 probands with AA, 2298 unaffected siblings, and 9192 matched controls to assess the risk of MDD. We included 16,543 probands with MDD, 17,352 unaffected siblings, and 69,408 matched controls to assess the risk of AA. The Breslow-Cox model was used to calculate the adjusted relative risk. RESULTS: Compared with controls, AA probands and unaffected siblings had adjusted relative risks of 8.22 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.41-10.54) and 2.55 (95% CI, 1.91-3.40), respectively, for MDD. MDD probands and unaffected siblings had adjusted relative risks for AA of 1.66 (95% CI, 1.24-2.22) and 1.64 (95% CI, 1.27-2.12), respectively. LIMITATION: The National Health Insurance Research Database lacked information on disease severity, body mass index, smoking habit, alcohol consumption, and stressful life events. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated a bidirectional association between AA and MDD among probands and unaffected siblings, thus suggesting shared familial mechanisms underlying AA and MDD.
Authors: Maryanne Senna; Justin Ko; Antonella Tosti; Emily Edson-Heredia; D Christian Fenske; Amy K Ellinwood; Maria Jose Rueda; Baojin Zhu; Brett King Journal: Adv Ther Date: 2021-07-22 Impact factor: 3.845