Up-Regulation of Androgen Receptor by Heat Shock Protein 27 and miR-1 Induces Pathogenesis of Androgenic Alopecia

The study involved 46 male patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and 52 healthy controls. It found that levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) were significantly higher in the AGA group. A positive correlation was found between HSP27 and DHT levels in AGA patients. The study also discovered a negative correlation between HSP27 mRNA and miR-1 mRNA levels in scalp tissue. The levels of HSP27 protein, AR protein, HSP27 mRNA, and AR mRNA were significantly increased in the AGA group, while miR-1 levels were significantly down-regulated. Inhibition of HSP27 or miR-1 expression could inhibit AR expression. The study concluded that HSP27 and miR-1 can up-regulate AR levels, contributing to the development of AGA.