Hormonal profile of men with premature balding.
OBJECTIVE
Premature androgenic alopecia has been suggested as a feature of the male equivalent of the syndrome of polycystic ovary. However, the hormonal pattern of men with premature balding has been investigated in only a few studies with inconsistent results.


METHODS
We examined 37 men with premature balding (defined as frontoparietal and vertex hair loss before the age of 30 years with alopecia defined as grade 3 vertex or more on the alopecia classification scale of Hamilton with Norwood modification). The plasma concentrations of total testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, epitestosterone, androstenedione, cortisol, 17-OH-progesterone (17OHP), estradiol, LH, FSH, prolactin, SHBG and TSH and free thyroxine were measured.


RESULTS
The frequency of subnormal values in SHBG, FSH, testosterone and epitestosterone (but not in free androgen index) was significant in the balding men. A borderline significant trend was recorded with respect to increased levels in 17OH-P and prolactin.


CONCLUSIONS
The hormonal pattern of a substantial number of men with premature balding resembles in some respects the hormonal pattern of women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
Stárka
L
L
Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czech Republic. lstarka@endo.cz
Cermáková
I
I
Dusková
M
M
Hill
M
M
Dolezal
M
M
Polácek
V
V
D000328:Adult; D000505:Alopecia / Q000097:blood*; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000097:blood; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D006728:Hormones; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013974:Thyroxine