Evaluation of androgen receptor gene as a candidate gene in female androgenetic alopecia

Background  Genetic polymorphisms of the androgen receptor (AR) gene have been studied in male androgenetic alopecia (AGA); however, little is known about gene polymorphism and female AGA. Aim  To evaluate the AR gene as a candidate gene for female AGA. Methods  Thirty premenopausal Egyptian female...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of dermatology 2009-06, Vol.48 (6), p.584-587
Main Authors: El‐Samahy, May H., Shaheen, Maha A., Saddik, Dina E. B., Abdel Fattah, Nermeen S. A., El‐Sawi, Mohammad A., Mahran, Manal Z., Shehab, Abeer A. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Alopecia - genetics
Biological and medical sciences
Case-Control Studies
Dermatology
Egypt
Exons - genetics
Female
Gene Frequency
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Genotype
Hair and nails disorders
Humans
Medical sciences
Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
Premenopause
Receptors, Androgen - genetics
Sex Factors
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Summary:Background  Genetic polymorphisms of the androgen receptor (AR) gene have been studied in male androgenetic alopecia (AGA); however, little is known about gene polymorphism and female AGA. Aim  To evaluate the AR gene as a candidate gene for female AGA. Methods  Thirty premenopausal Egyptian female patients with AGA (mean age, 32.3 ± 7 years) and 11 age‐ and sex‐matched controls were included. All subjects underwent laboratory and pelvic ultrasound evaluation to exclude other precipitating cause(s) of hair loss. Scalp biopsy was taken and the AR gene was evaluated using polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP). Results  According to Ludwig's classification, all patients had type II AGA. Statistical analysis showed no statistically significant difference in genotype (χ2 = 5.513, P ≥ 0.05) or allele frequency (χ2 = 1.312, P ≥ 0.05) between patients and controls. There was also no statistically significant difference between the genotype and allele frequency with disease duration. Conclusion  In contrast with male AGA, no association was found between type II AGA in Egyptian women and the AR gene. Therefore, the genetic study of this gene does not serve as a biomarker for the identification of women with a predisposition to AGA.
ISSN:0011-9059
1365-4632
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2009.03991.x