Tofacitinib for Alopecia Areata: A look at changes in Inflammatory Markers

CXCL10 Levels drop quickly in a patient successfully treated

You've probably never heard of CXCL10. It's a small protein that gets secreted into the blood when there is inflammation around. Many cells make CXCL10 including blood vessel cells (endothelial cell), fibroblasts, monocytes. The CXCL10 helps attract a variety of inflammatory cells such as T cells, NK cells. 

A new study looked at levels of CXCL10 in a patient successfully treated with tofacitinib. The patient was a 40 year old female with severe alopecia areata treated with 5 mg twice daily of tofacitinib. She regrew hair rapidly on treatment. This was associated with a decrease in the blood levels of CXCL10 within 1 month.  Other inflammatory markers were also altered. 

Conclusion and Comment

We are now entering a new era where blood levels of certain proteins may soon be used to predict responses to treatments as well as monitor the possible chances of relapse. CXCL10 could be an important protein to evaluate in predicting response to treatment.