Inflammatory Proteomics Analysis in Different Types of Male Androgenetic Alopecia
Description
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a polygenic, hereditary, progressive hair loss disorder. It is classified into male pattern hair loss (MPHL) that is characterized by a receding frontal hairline, and female pattern hair loss (FPHL) manifesting as diffuse thinning and fineness of hair. In Asian male AGA, approximately 11.1% patients present as “female pattern”[1]. A significant proportion of Australian men with FPHL are accompanied by hypotestosteronemia and hypovitaminosis D[2], demonstrating correlation to an extent. Yet relevant pathogenesis of FPHL in men regarding testosterone and vitamin D is still unclear. In addition, previous research on male AGA have primarily focused on the general condition without clinical subtyping, and studies on male FPHL were limited. This study aimed to explore the inflammatory differences and identify potential biomarkers between the different types of male AGA. From June to November 2022, we collected 88 male AGA patients who visited the hair clinic of Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, including 46 men with MPHL and 42 men with FPHL. Among them, 4 (4.5%) had elevated peripheral blood total testosterone levels, 18 (20.5%) had reduced sex hormone-binding globulin levels, 45 (51.1%) had elevated uric acid levels, and 68 (77.3%) patients were found to have insufficient or deficient levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. Plante et al. identified perifollicular lymphocytic infiltrates in 87.9% AGA specimens. They noted inflammation adjacent to miniaturized follicles and follicular spongiosis in 86.2% and 29.3% AGA cases, respectively[3]. Using Olink proteomics technology, we analyzed the expression of inflammation-related proteins in the 88 blood samples. Differential proteins were primarily enriched in biological processes such as granulocyte migration and chemotaxis, inflammatory response, and cytokine-mediated signaling pathways.
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From June to November 2022, we collected 88 male AGA patients who visited the hair clinic of Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, including 46 men with MPHL and 42 men with FPHL. Using Olink proteomics technology, we analyzed the expression of inflammation-related proteins in the 88 blood samples.