ABSTRACT
Clostridium difficile infections can be life-threatening but are increasingly being treated successfully with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). We report two patients with alopecia universalis who developed subsequent hair regrowth after FMT for treatment of recurrent C. difficile infections. Gut microbiota may have immunomodulatory effects in autoimmune conditions such as alopecia areata, and further study may elucidate disease mechanisms and lead to alternative treatment options for these patients for whom treatment options are currently limited.
Comment: Alopecia Totalis Wikipedia states: “Alopecia totalis is the loss of all hair on the head and face. Its causes are unclear but believed to be autoimmune. Research suggests there may be a genetic component linked to developing alopecia totalis; the presence of DRB1*0401 and DQB1*0301, both of which are human leukocyte antigens (HLA), were found to be associated with long-standing alopecia totalis.”[1]
We know so little about how our GUT controls us, our immunity, our health, and possibly how long we may live. Imagine that this woman, with no hair on her body for maybe years, with failures in all sorts of treatments, gets a fecal transplant and then gets her hair back. Just think about that!!!!!
ACG Case Rep J 2017;4:e107. doi:10.14309/crj.2017.107. Published online: September 13, 2017.
Correspondence: Dionne Rebello, Department of Internal Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy St, Providence, RI 02903 (dionne.rebello@lifespan.org).
For those readers interested in how a Fecal Transplant is done, see here:https://www.google.com/search?q=how+does+one+do+a+fecal+transplant&rlz=1C1OPNX_enUS1115US1115&oq=how+does+one+do+a+fecal+transplant&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yDQgCEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgDEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgEEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgFEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyCggGEAAYgAQYogTSAQg2MjQ3ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#vhid=V5jfND3RsegFlM&vssid=l