title: Androgenetic alopecia and polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene (SNP rs6152) in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia or prostate cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Both androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and carcinoma of the prostate (CaP) or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are androgen-dependent disorders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationships between male androgenetic alopecia, androgen receptor (AR) gene polymorphism (SNP rs6152) and clinical characteristics of BPH and prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overall, 309 male subjects with prostate disease (BPH or CaP) were examined. We evaluated the standard grades of AGA (I-VII) by Hamilton-Norwood classification and 195 patients were also assessed by phototrichogram. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and testosterone levels were also measured. Polymorphism rs6152 of the AR was evaluated from blood samples by PCR-RFLP. Data were statistically evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expected positive correlation between age and AGA grade and the expected negative correlation between hair density and age and between anagen/telogen and AGA were found. A statistically significant difference between patients with A and G alleles in terms of AGA grade was found. The predominant G allele was more frequent in patients with higher grade of alopecia and in patients with significantly higher PSA. There was no correlation between diagnosis (BPH or CaP) and polymorphism. Patients with prostate inflammation had a statistically significant higher grade of AGA, together with higher PSA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We confirmed that the AR gene polymorphism (SNP rs6152 G>A) is associated with the development of AGA and higher PSA levels in patients with BPH but not cancer. A novel finding of our study is that BPH patients with prostate inflammation had a significantly higher grade of AGA together with significantly higher PSA levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatovenereology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kucerova
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bienova
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kral
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bouchal
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Trtkova
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burdova
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Student
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kolar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D000505:Alopecia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D013739:Testosterone; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen