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Comparison of scalp interleukin-17 levels in hijab-wearing women with and without seborrheic dermatitis and the correlation with disease severity
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 11 December 2025
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Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is linked with Malassezia colonization, which increases in hijab-wearing women. The growing number of hijab wearers in Indonesia makes this issue relevant. Interleukin (IL)-17 plays a role in inflammation and antifungal immunity, including against Malassezia. However, studies on the role of IL-17 in SD, particularly in hijab-wearing women, are currently lacking. Our study purpose was to evaluate differences in IL-17 levels between hijab-wearing women with SD and without SD, and their correlation with SD severity. This cross-sectional study included 66 hijab-wearing participants aged 18-59 years, with 34 in the SD group and 32 in the non-SD group. IL-17 expression was assessed using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) on scalp skin samples obtained through tape stripping (Sebutape®). The SD group had significantly lower IL-17 levels (0.064 [0.006-0.354] pg/μg protein) compared to the non-SD group (0.105 [0.030-0.531] pg/μg protein) (p=0.002), with a strong negative correlation between IL-17 levels and SD severity scores (r=–0.728, p=0.000). The result suggests a potential protective role of IL-17 against SD.
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Supporting Agencies
This research was funded by the Directorate of Research and Development, Universitas Indonesia, under Hibah PUTI 2024 (Grant No. NKB-73/UN2.RST/HKP.05.00/2024).How to Cite
1.
Pratama AI, Legiawati L, Fitri EM, Syougie S, Menaldi SLSW. Comparison of scalp interleukin-17 levels in hijab-wearing women with and without seborrheic dermatitis and the correlation with disease severity. Dermatol Reports [Internet]. 2025 Dec. 11 [cited 2026 May 26];. Available from: https://journals.pagepress.net/dr/article/view/10623
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