Failure to induce alopecia areata in C3H/HeJ mice with exogenous interferon gamma

Alopecia areata is a cell mediated autoimmune disease that targets actively growing, anagen stage hair follicles in several mammalian species. Upregulation of MHC I due to interferon gamma is considered to be one of the initiating steps. To test this hypothesis we used the spontaneous C3H/HeJ mouse model, induced anagen by wax stripping the skin, and injected recombinant murine interferon gamma. Alopecia areata is a complex polygenic trait with low penetrance in these mice. Injection of interferon gamma did not change the frequency or time of onset of alopecia in these mice suggesting this protein alone is not sufficient to initiate disease.