Alopecia areata (AA) is a non-scarring, inflammatory hair loss on the scalpand/or the body. It affects children and adults of all ages and races. It israrely reported in infancy and its occurrence in neonates has recently beenreported.AA is regarded as a tissue-specific autoimmune disease of hair follicles. Itshows lymphocytic infiltrates in the peribulbar area of anagen follicles orfollicles in early catagen, and appears to be mediated by a Th1 cellresponse with the production of IFN-α. The presence of autoantibodies inAA raises the possibility of the role of humoral immunity.RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed andsecreted) is a chemokine responsible for regulating the selectiverecruitment of leukocytes into inflamed lesions. It is chemotactic foreosinophils, monocytes, mast cells, basophils and memory T cells.In AA, RANTES is suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesisof AA via chemo-attracting Th1 cells.