Genetic Variation in the Human Androgen Receptor Gene Is the Major Determinant of Common Early-Onset Androgenetic Alopecia

July 2005 in “ American Journal of Human Genetics ”

Axel M. Hillmer, Sandra Hanneken, S. Ritzmann, Tim Becker, Jan Freudenberg, Felix F. Brockschmidt, Antonia Flaquer, Yun Freudenberg-Hua, Rami Abou Jamra, Christine Metzen, Uwe Heyn, Nadine Schweiger, Regina C. Betz, Bettina Blaumeiser, Jochen Hampe, Stefan Schreiber, Bernhard T. Baune, Hans Christian Hennies, Johannes Schumacher, Peter Propping, Thomas Ruzicka, Sven Cichon, Thomas F. Wienker, Roland Kruse, Markus M. Nöthen

androgen receptor AR gene androgenetic alopecia AGA genetic variation polyglycine-encoding GGN repeat exon 1 X-chromosomal location maternal inheritance GGN repeat X-chromosome

TLDR Genetic variation in the androgen receptor gene mainly causes early-onset hair loss, with maternal inheritance playing a key role.

This study from 17 years ago found that genetic variation in the androgen receptor (AR) gene is the main factor in the development of common early-onset androgenetic alopecia (AGA). The study analyzed a large number of genetic variants covering the AR locus and suggests that a polyglycine-encoding GGN repeat in exon 1 is a plausible candidate for conferring the functional effect. The X-chromosomal location of AR stresses the importance of the maternal line in the inheritance of AGA.

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research Genetic Variation in the Human Androgen Receptor Gene Is the Major Determinant of Common Early-Onset Androgenetic Alopecia

195 citations, July 2005 in “American Journal of Human Genetics”

Genetic variation in the androgen receptor gene mainly causes early-onset hair loss, with maternal inheritance playing a key role.