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 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 (chi(2) = 5.513, P = 0.05) or allele frequency (chi(2) = 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.