Polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene is associated with male pattern baldness

Abstract

The common heritable loss of scalp hair known as male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia affects up to 80% of males by age 80. A balding scalp is characterized by high levels of the potent androgen dihydrotestosterone and increased expression of the androgen receptor gene. To determine if the androgen receptor gene is associated with male pattern baldness, we compared allele frequencies of the androgen receptor gene polymorphisms (StuI restriction fragment length polymorphism and two triplet repeat polymorphisms) in cases with cosmetically significant baldness (54 young and 392 older men) and controls (107 older men) with no indication of baldness. The androgen receptor gene StuI rest..