Although the coexistence of alopecia areata (AA) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been anecdotally reported, the association between these conditions has been poorly investigated. We aimed to assess the association between AA and SSc using a large-scale real-life computerized database. A cross-sectional study was conducted comparing the prevalence of SSc among patients with AA and among age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched control subjects. Chi-square and t tests were used for univariate analysis, and logistic regression model was used for multivariate analysis. The study was performed utilizing the computerized database of Clalit Health Services ensuring 4.4 million subjects. A total of 51,561 patients with AA and 51,410 controls were included in the study. The prevalence of SSc was increased in patients with AA as compared with the control group (0.1% vs. 0.0%, respectively; OR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.2-4.4; P = 0.010). The association was stronger among older and Jewish patients. In a multivariate analysis adjusting for sex, age, ethnicity, and other comorbidities, AA was still independently associated with SSc (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2-4.4; P = 0.012). In conclusion, a significant positive association was revealed between AA and SSc. Further studies are necessary to establish these findings in other study populations and to elucidate the mechanism underlying this association. Awareness of SSc may be of importance for physicians treating patients with AA, and screening for SSc in patients with relevant symptoms may be considered.

中文翻译：

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斑秃患者的全身性硬化症患病率增加：一项基于人群的研究。

尽管有传闻报道斑秃（AA）和系统性硬化症（SSc）并存，但对这些疾病之间的关联性研究不足。我们旨在使用大规模的现实生活计算机数据库来评估AA和SSc之间的关联。进行了一项横断面研究，比较了患有AA的患者以及年龄，性别和种族匹配的对照对象中SSc的患病率。卡方检验和t检验用于单变量分析，逻辑回归模型用于多变量分析。这项研究是利用Clalit Health Services的计算机数据库进行的，可确保440万名受试者。该研究共纳入51,561名AA患者和51,410名对照。与对照组相比，AA患者中SSc的患病率增加（0。1％和0.0％；或2.30; 95％CI，1.2-4.4；P = 0.010）。老年患者和犹太患者之间的关联更强。在调整了性别，年龄，种族和其他合并症的多元分析中，AA仍与SSc独立相关（OR为2.3； 95％CI为1.2-4.4； P = 0.012）。总之，AA和SSc之间显示出显着的正相关。为了在其他研究人群中建立这些发现并阐明这种关联的潜在机制，有必要进行进一步的研究。对SSc的认识对于治疗AA患者的医生可能很重要，可以考虑对有相关症状的患者进行SSc筛查。年龄，种族和其他合并症，AA仍与SSc独立相关（OR为2.3； 95％CI为1.2-4.4； P = 0.012）。总之，AA和SSc之间显示出显着的正相关。为了在其他研究人群中建立这些发现并阐明这种关联的机制，有必要进行进一步的研究。对SSc的认识对于治疗AA患者的医生可能很重要，可以考虑对有相关症状的患者进行SSc筛查。年龄，种族和其他合并症，AA仍与SSc独立相关（OR为2.3； 95％CI为1.2-4.4； P = 0.012）。总之，AA和SSc之间显示出显着的正相关。为了在其他研究人群中建立这些发现并阐明这种关联的机制，有必要进行进一步的研究。对SSc的认识对于治疗AA患者的医生可能很重要，可以考虑对有相关症状的患者进行SSc筛查。为了在其他研究人群中建立这些发现并阐明这种关联的机制，有必要进行进一步的研究。对SSc的认识对于治疗AA患者的医生可能很重要，可以考虑对有相关症状的患者进行SSc筛查。为了在其他研究人群中确立这些发现并阐明这种关联的潜在机制，有必要进行进一步的研究。对SSc的认识对于治疗AA患者的医生可能很重要，并且可以考虑对有相关症状的患者进行SSc筛查。