GEO series
Comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic profiling of the scalp from patients with moderate-to-severe alopecia areata
GSE316832
Homo sapiens
Expression profiling by high throughput sequencing
30 samples
Submitted 2026/03/16
Platform GPL34281
Summary
Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune hair loss disorder characterized by follicular destruction. While bulk transcriptomic studies have identified contributory inflammatory axes, specific cell pathways remain underexplored. Objective: To characterize the single-cell transcriptomic landscape underpinning AA scalp compared to healthy controls. Methods: We performed single-cell RNA-sequencing on lesional and nonlesional scalp biopsies from 13 patients with moderate-to-severe AA (5 with alopecia totalis/universalis [AT/AU]) and 11 healthy controls. Results: Overall, we profiled 41,067 high-quality cells. Lesional AA samples demonstrated robust Th1 activation and cytotoxicity, with upregulated IFNG, GZMH/K, and XCL1/2. Concurrently, Th2 skewing (IL13, IL13RA1, IL4R) and TNFRSF4/OX40 elevations in lesional CD4+ and regulatory T-cells were also observed. IL15, JAK2/3, and STAT1 levels were increased in distinct lesional dendritic cell subsets, with JAK/STAT genes also upregulated in fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells exhibited enriched pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic markers (CXCL9, CCL26, POSTN, COL5A3, COL6A6). Lesional keratinocytes further demonstrated downregulated hair keratins and increased interferon signaling. AA endothelial cells showed increased angiogenic and interferon signatures. Compared to patchy AA and controls, AT/AU demonstrated higher expression of multiple cytotoxic, Th1, Th2, and JAK/STAT markers in immune cells, and proliferative and inflammatory signatures in non-immune cells. Conclusion: This comprehensive high-resolution single-cell map uncovers potential communication networks between immune and non-immune cell populations in AA scalp, possibly disrupting immune privilege at the hair follicle and driving disease progression and/or severity. Clinical Implications: These data provide single-cell-resolution insights into AA pathogenesis and potential molecular targets for precision therapies tailored to AA severity.
Published in
Hu BD, He H, Bose S et al.
· The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology 2026
· PMID 41740930
· doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2026.02.014
This dataset
Download
Direct links to NCBI, no account and no request form: the whole study as GSE316832_RAW.tar, processed values as the series matrix, the supplementary file directory, and per-sample supplementary files for any of the 30 samples. Raw sequencing reads are also available from ENA.
Also filed as BioProject PRJNA1404311 and SRA study SRP663899. Searching any of these in the dataset finder brings you back here.
Study design
30 conditions, each sampled once — no replicated groups
Supports a case/control comparison: 19 samples read as cases, 11 as controls.
Read from 30 sample titles: 30 distinct titles with little repetition. Check it against the sample list below before relying on it.
Samples in this study
0 selected
- GSM9460802 Sample 1, healthy control scalp
- GSM9460803 Sample 2, healthly control scalp
- GSM9460804 Sample 3, healthy control scalp
- GSM9460805 Sample 4, healthly control scalp
- GSM9460806 Sample 5, healthy control scalp
- GSM9460807 Sample 6, healthy control scalp
- GSM9460808 Sample 7, healthy control scalp
- GSM9460809 Sample 8, healthy control scalp
- GSM9460810 Sample 9, healthy control scalp
- GSM9460811 Sample 10, healthy control scalp
- GSM9460812 Sample 11, healthy control scalp
- GSM9460813 Sample 12, nonlesional scalp
- GSM9460814 Sample 13, nonlesional scalp
- GSM9460815 Sample 14, nonlesional scalp
- GSM9460816 Sample 15, nonlesional scalp
- GSM9460817 Sample 16 nonlesional scalp
- GSM9460818 Sample 17, nonlesional scalp
- GSM9460819 Sample 18, nonlesional scalp
- GSM9460820 Sample 19, lesional scalp
- GSM9460821 Sample 20, lesional scalp
- GSM9460822 Sample 21, lesional scalp
- GSM9460823 Sample 22, lesional scalp
- GSM9460824 Sample 23, lesional scalp
- GSM9460825 Sample 24, lesional scalp
- GSM9460826 Sample 25, lesional scalp
- GSM9460827 Sample 26, lesional scalp
- GSM9460828 Sample 27, lesional scalp
- GSM9460829 Sample 28, lesional scalp
- GSM9460830 Sample 29, lesional scalp
- GSM9460831 Sample 30, lesional scalp
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