New study fails to demonstrate that baldness is a genetic problem

[Armando Jose]

It is increasingly difficult to prove that the common alopecia is genetic, new study can not prove it, this is one last performed in women



[FONT=&quot]Arch Dermatol Res.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 2013 Dec 19. [Epub ahead of print][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Investigation of four novel male androgenetic alopecia susceptibility loci: no association with female pattern hair loss.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nuwaihyd R[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Redler S[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Heilmann S[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Drichel D[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Wolf S[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Birch P[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Dobson K[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Lutz G[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Giehl KA[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Kruse R[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Tazi-Ahnini R[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Hanneken S[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Böhm M[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Miesel A[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Fischer T[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Wolff H[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Becker T[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Garcia-Bartels N[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Blume-Peytavi U[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Nöthen MM[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Messenger AG[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Betz RC[/FONT][FONT=&quot].[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Author information [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Abstract[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is a common hair loss disorder in women and has a complex mode of inheritance. The etiopathogenesis of FPHL is largely unknown; however, it is hypothesized that FPHL and male pattern baldness [androgenetic alopecia (Androgenetic Alopecia)] share common genetic susceptibility alleles. Our recent findings indicate that the major Androgenetic Alopecia locus, an X-chromosome region containing the androgen receptor and the ectodysplasin A2 receptor (EDA2R) genes, may represent a common genetic factor underlying both early-onset FPHL and Androgenetic Alopecia. This gives further support for the widespread assumption of shared susceptibility loci for FPHL and Androgenetic Alopecia. However, we could not demonstrate association of further Androgenetic Alopecia risk loci, including 20p11, 1p36.22, 2q37.3, 7p21.1, 7q11.22, 17q21.31, and 18q21.1, with FPHL. Interestingly, a recent study identified four novel Androgenetic Alopecia risk loci in chromosomal regions 2q35, 3q25.1, 5q33.3, and 12p12.1. In particular, the 2q35 locus and its gene WNT10A point to an as-yet unknown involvement of the WNT signaling pathway in Androgenetic Alopecia. We hypothesized that the novel loci and thus also the WNT signaling may have a role in the etiopathogenesis of FPHL and therefore examined the role of these novel Androgenetic Alopecia risk loci in our FPHL samples comprising 440 German and 145 UK affected patients, 500 German unselected controls (blood donors), and 179 UK supercontrols. Patients and controls were genotyped for the top two single nucleotide polymorphisms at each of the four Androgenetic Alopecia loci. However, none of the genotyped variants displayed any significant association. In conclusion, the results of this study provide no support for the hypothesis that the novel Androgenetic Alopecia loci influence susceptibility to FPHL.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]PMID:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]24352509[/FONT]

 

[abcdefg]

Well its sure a pretty big coincidence that nearly every guy I know whos dad is majorly bald also happens to be majorly balding at a very young age too. Seems to usually be the case so it seems like there is some kind of genetic link somewhere. Might be hard to find considering no one knows all the genes even involved in male pattern baldness

 

[uncomfortable man]

It's all too complicated to even fathom. All you need to know is that if you are bald then you are never getting your hair back in this cursed, compromised lifetime. You will die a lost opportunity.

 

[Chromeo]

It's all too complicated to even fathom. All you need to know is that if you are bald then you are never getting your hair back in this cursed, compromised lifetime. You will die a lost opportunity.

Then why are you still here, dude?

 

[bushbush]

The title of this thread is wrong. The study only failed to associate four genes that have already been linked to male pattern baldness with FPB. Whether male pattern baldness has a genetic basis is not under dispute.

 

[KeepMovin]

I know lots of males whos father is bald and they arent.

Also consider our androgen receptors come from our mothers.

Very complicated indeed working in the current paradigm. Gene expression is also something to consider.

 

[peacemaker]

I think it's genes + the environment. I have no direct relatives with mbp issues. My grandparents are all nw0s. My maternal grandfather who died (RIP) had full hair. My mom has two brothers and at ages 50ish, one is Norwood 1 ish and the other is Norwood 0. My paternal grandfather is in his late 80s and has literally a Norwood 0 with a perfect hairline. The issue started with my dad. His hairline started receding in his early 50s. He is currently a Norwood 3. My issue started way earlier at age 21. Now I am Norwood 2.5 following his shoes. I believe that while the treatments are becoming better, each generation following another deals with much more stress that brings the worst of their hair.

 

[Sparky4444]

Then why are you still here, dude?

Yeah..exactly...you either accept it or you don't -- meaning you accept you have "hope" and you get up everyday thinking today might be the day a new breakthrough is very near...

...the other thing is that you accept you may never get your "18 year old" hair back, but you may get back something cosmetically via hair transplant that will be a compromise...

..the way things are shaping up, Dr. Wesley and PiloFocus will get you back a pretty thick front and top, but may leave your vertex and rear thin or bald...see Kevin Smith -- pretty clear he's had frontal hair transplant but his vertex and rear and slick bald...you may just have to accept that and count your blessings...

 

[bushbush]

I have no direct relatives with mbp issues. My grandparents are all nw0s. My maternal grandfather who died (RIP) had full hair. My mom has two brothers and at ages 50ish, one is Norwood 1 ish and the other is Norwood 0. My paternal grandfather is in his late 80s and has literally a Norwood 0 with a perfect hairline. The issue started with my dad. His hairline started receding in his early 50s. He is currently a Norwood 3. My issue started way earlier at age 21. Now I am Norwood 2.5 following his shoes. I believe that while the treatments are becoming better, each generation following another deals with much more stress that brings the worst of their hair.

Genes can be recessive. Other (Norwood 0) males in your family could have male pattern baldness genes but they are not expressed unless they have two copies of a (hypothetical) allele.

 

[Armando Jose]

I think it's genes + the environment. I have no direct relatives with mbp issues. My grandparents are all nw0s. My maternal grandfather who died (RIP) had full hair. My mom has two brothers and at ages 50ish, one is Norwood 1 ish and the other is Norwood 0. My paternal grandfather is in his late 80s and has literally a Norwood 0 with a perfect hairline. The issue started with my dad. His hairline started receding in his early 50s. He is currently a Norwood 3. My issue started way earlier at age 21. Now I am Norwood 2.5 following his shoes. I believe that while the treatments are becoming better, each generation following another deals with much more stress that brings the worst of their hair.

I also think that the environment has a role in common baldness, ...., far and near environment.....

Regarding the genetics and hormones I don't explain this figure 1
Fig. 1
Changes in distribution of (A) age at first visit and (B) onset age in male patients with androgenetic alopecia.



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662911/#!po=3.84615
How is possible develop baldness on yours thirties or forties if you have androgens and "bald" genes decades ago???

 

[bushbush]

How is possible develop baldness on yours thirties or forties if you have androgens and "bald" genes decades ago???

Because genetics can infer susceptibility and manifest progressively. You might not go bald overnight, but your genetics still determine if you will. You can have a gene that will mean you are more likely to develop alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease later in life. You are unlikely to develop both conditions in your 20s, this however, does not mean that they don't have a genetic basis.

 

[Armando Jose]

Hi bushbush, thank you for your insert, but do you know the mechanism of manifiest progressively the problem, why one before than others, genetics also? or exist a external process?
BTW do you think that alzheimer is a genetic issue?

 

[benjt]

As has already been pointed out, Armando Jose, the study that you cited has in no way shown that baldness is not a genetic problem. It has just failed to show that some genes which were previously thought to play a role in fact do. Nothing more, nothing less. MPG/Androgenetic Alopecia remains a genetical problem.

Generally speaking, the susceptability to many big diseases of our time are determined by your genes. Your genes don't say that you will get a certain disease at a certain age, just that you are more (or less) prone to it than others. This holds for Alzheimer's, cancer, and Androgenetic Alopecia/male pattern baldness. It is a matter of probability, if and when you will get it. After all, every process in the body is a stochastic process. The best example of this is cancer.

Scientifically speaking, your genes constitute a probability density function in terms of diseases, and the corresponding parameters being partially determined by your environment and behavior. There are pathways at work (Wnt, for example) which, when first activated, trigger a cascade of events that lead to the manifestation of diseases and influence that probability density function, and thus the probability of you getting a certain disease. In the case of cancer, the variables for the probability density function are your genes, time, environment and behavior (e.g., nutrition). Even if all these things, except for your genes, are equal between two persons, one can be struck by cancer at the age of 50 and the other not, even though environment, nutrition and life time are identical.
The same holds for Androgenetic Alopecia/male pattern baldness: Just because your dad only got it at 50 does not mean that mean that you will not get it at 20. You just inherited a general susceptability to Androgenetic Alopecia/male pattern baldness from him and not even a "one-to-one copy", but a variation from your mom's and your dad's genes. And then, as I said, there are the factors that are not in your genes, but that are parameters to the probability density function determined by your genes. For Androgenetic Alopecia/male pattern baldness, these have not been found yet (and nobody knows how big of a role they play), but many theories have been stated on these forums, such as: dietary components, masturbation, work-out...

 

[Armando Jose]

Ok benjt
"It has just failed to show that some genes which were previously thought to play a role in fact do"

Genetics is important but also exist epigenetics issues, the interactions of the subject with the exterior....

BTW why? which is the advantage of alopecia in humans?

 

[benjt]

Genetics is not only important, it is the determining factor that decides whether you are prone to a disease at all, and how prone you are. Sombody who is not prone to Androgenetic Alopecia/male pattern baldness at all can live as unhealthily as he wants and he will never get Androgenetic Alopecia/male pattern baldness.

Not every genetic feature that has survived in humans is an advantage in any way. Two very good examples of that are the tail bone and the appendix/blind gut. They are completely useless to humans. However, these genes are still passed on simply because they are no disadvantage to survival and do not negatively influence your mating.
While Androgenetic Alopecia/male pattern baldness definitely influences your attractiveness in a negative way, you will still be able to find a partner and produce children. As have all your parents. Thus, the gene survives - it simply isn't kicked out of the gene pool by natural selection, because nowadays natural selection isn't very strong.

 

[bushbush]

Well covered benjt.

BTW why? which is the advantage of alopecia in humans?

Of course any hypothesis would need to be tested experimentally --- but from an evolutionary perspective, one might imagine that male pattern baldness conveys signals of social maturity about an individual.

 

[Armando Jose]

One more probe that problems with sebum is correlated with common hair loss
A recent publication show that alterations in the “quality” of scalp sebum can cause alopecia
“Loss of CerS4 protein leads to an altered lipid composition of the sebum, which is more solidified and therefore might cause the progressive hair loss due to physical blocking of the hair canal.”
It fits in my theory, not only blocking the hair canal but disturbing the travel of stem cells from the bulge area to the dermal papilla in the normal hair follicle cycling.
Ceramide Synthase 4 deficiency in mice causes lipid alterations in sebum and results in alopecia.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24738593

In the same line, there is another study
http://www.jbc.org/content/286/29/25922.full.pdf+html
[h=1]Normal Fur Development and Sebum Production Depends on Fatty Acid 2-Hydroxylase Expression in Sebaceous Glands[SUP]*[/SUP][/h][h=1]With interesting remarks:[/h][h=1]“Loss of FA2H significantly altered the composition and physicochemical properties of sebum, which often blocked the hair canal, apparently causing a delay in the hair fiber exit. Furthermore, mice lacking FA2H displayed a cycling alopecia with hair loss in telogen. These results underline the importance of the sebaceous glands and suggest a role of specific sebaceous gland or sebum lipids, synthesized by FA2H, in the hair follicle homeostasis.”[/h][h=1]“The delay in emergence of the fur during morphogenesis and anagen may also be caused by the sebum plugs blocking the hair tip”[/h][h=1]“To examine whether sebum plugs in the hair canal observed in histological preparations (see Fig. 4) might be due to altered physicochemical properties of the sebum, we determined the melting points of surface lipids isolated from wild-type and Fa2h[SUP]−/−[/SUP] mice. Melting begins at 37 °C in the case of wild-type sebum, whereas it was increased to more than 50 °C in the case of Fa2h[SUP]−/−[/SUP] mice”[/h][h=1]“This view is also supported by the observation that SG degeneration is an early event in chemotherapy-induced alopecia, which appears to precede hair loss (40).”[/h]10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18079744?dopt=Abstract
J Invest Dermatol. 2008 Jun;128(6):1576-8. Epub 2007 Dec 13.
Phylogeny of the hair follicle: the sebogenic hypothesis.
Stenn KS, Zheng Y, Parimoo S.
[h=1] [/h]40. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16470179?dopt=Abstract
J Invest Dermatol. 2006 Apr;126(4):711-20.
[h=1]Doxorubicin-induced alopecia is associated with sebaceous gland degeneration.[/h]Selleri S[SUP]1[/SUP], Seltmann H, Gariboldi S, Shirai YF, Balsari A, Zouboulis CC, Rumio C.

 

[abcdefg]

I dont know a couple people I know dads were bald and they are losing it big time too. They live not that far and do all the same exact crap I do. My hair is very minor and slow and we dont have much male pattern baldness history. One smokes and the other doesnt both the same dad with male pattern baldness. If its envirnment I just dont see the link but I see a strong genetic one. I remember a recent study saying caffeine, smoking, and environmental factors had affects on male pattern baldness but I just dont see that in real life. It just looks purely genetic to me. Just because we havent figured out how it works genetically doesnt mean thats not it. Maybe every problem is determined by genetics and we just understand how yet who really knows

 

[Armando Jose]

IMHO genetics give us the type of hair, thin or thick, the color, the density, curly or straight, etc but not hair to baldness or not. The reason is that all people, women and men, have the same genetic scalp hair (there is not difference in healthy scalp hair)

 

[resu]

Genetics also give you the balding pattern, my cousin who's dad has type A receding hair loss and guess what he's also a type A. I don't have the same pattern as my dad but my hair color is also not the same as my parents, I probably got it from a very distance relative.