The article presents data on alopecia areata (AA), a chronic inflammatory disease caused by hair loss with primarily genetic component. The frequency of occurrence of AA reaches 1–2% of the total population as a whole. AA can develop at any age. At the same time, in most patients, the first episode occurs before the age of 40 years, with a maximum onset between the second and fourth decades. In some patients, hair loss can develop into severe and chronic hair loss and cause severe psychosocial stress. Despite extensive research in the field of AA, the current understanding of pathogenesis is still incomplete. Genetic epidemiological studies are known to be effective in studying associations between gene variations with common diseases. The importance of genetic factors in AA is evident due to the high frequency of a positive family history. The article presents variants of genetic predisposition to AA, considers related and unrelated genes of the human leukocyte antigen in AA.

Keywords: pathogenetic mechanisms, alopecia areata, genetic factors