Male-Pattern Baldness Is Common in Men With X-Linked Recessive Ichthyosis

    January 2003 in “ Dermatology ”
    M. Axt-Gadermann, M. Schlichting, Wolfgang Küster
    Studysummary This study reviewed 26 cases of X-linked recessive ichthyosis and observed 11 patients with advanced-stage androgenetic alopecia, suggesting a compensatory role of two steroid biosynthesis pathways. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    The study investigated the relationship between X-linked recessive ichthyosis (XRI) and male-pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia (AGA), in 26 patients. It found that 11 of these patients exhibited advanced stages of AGA. The research suggested that the deficiency in steroid sulfatase (STS) activity, which is characteristic of XRI, might influence testosterone metabolism and the development of AGA. The study proposed that the presence of two pathways for steroid biosynthesis, with the Δ5 pathway relying on steroid sulfate activity and the Δ4 pathway compensating in XRI males, could explain the occurrence of AGA in these individuals.
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