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Robert B. Skinner, Jr, MD; William H. Light, MD; George F. Bale, MD; E. William Rosenberg, MD
University of Tennessee College of Medicine Memphis

Craig Leonardi, MD
Saint Louis University St Louis, Mo

JAMA. 1995;273(18):1419-1420.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, we found evidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in paraffin-block sections of lesions of alopecia areata.

Our interest in this association was first aroused by a 15-year-old male patient who developed sore throat, arthralgias, fever, chills, and diffuse lymphadenopathy. Evaluation by several other physicians had failed to uncover a cause. Tests for mononucleosis, among others, were negative. He

developed widespread alopecia areata with loss of most of the hair on his scalp and body. His symptoms suggested CMV infection; a convalescent serum IgG by enzyme immunoassay titer to CMV was 1.30, with normal being less than 0.25. Because of this case, we instituted further studies.

Twenty-one of 35 alopecia areata patients had similarly elevated antibody titers. Results of in situ hybridization tests on paraffin-block biopsy specimens of 10 patients with alopecia areata were all negative.

Specimens for PCR study were chosen from . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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