Genome-wide scan and fine-mapping linkage study of androgenetic alopecia reveals a locus on chromosome 3q26.
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA, male pattern baldness) is the most common form of hair loss. The origin of AGA is genetic, with the X chromosome located androgen receptor gene (AR) being the only risk gene identified to date. We present the results of a genome-wide linkage study of 95 families and linkage fine mapping of the 3q21-q29, 11q14-q25, 18p11-q23, and 19p13-q13 regions in an extended sample of 125 families of German descent. The locus with strongest evidence for linkage was mapped to 3q26 with a nonparametric linkage (NPL) score of 3.97 (empirical p value = 0.00055). This is the first step toward the identification of new susceptibility genes in AGA, a process which will provide important insights into the molecular and cellular basis of scalp hair loss.
Hillmer
Axel M
AM
Department of Genomics, Life and Brain Center, University of Bonn, D-53127 Bonn, Germany. axel.hillmer@uni-bonn.de
Flaquer
Antonia
A
Hanneken
Sandra
S
Eigelshoven
Sibylle
S
Kortüm
Anne-Katrin
AK
Brockschmidt
Felix F
FF
Golla
Astrid
A
Metzen
Christine
C
Thiele
Holger
H
Kolberg
Susanne
S
Reinartz
Roman
R
Betz
Regina C
RC
Ruzicka
Thomas
T
Hennies
Hans Christian
HC
Kruse
Roland
R
Nöthen
Markus M
MM
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000505:Alopecia / Q000235:genetics*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 / Q000235:genetics*; D005190:Family; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005820:Genetic Testing; D015894:Genome, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male