Microbiome in the hair follicle of androgenetic alopecia patients

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common form of hair loss in males. It is a multifactorial condition involving genetic predisposition and hormonal changes. The role of microflora during human hair loss remains to be understood. The characterization of hair microbiome by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing was performed from hair follicles extracted in occipital and vertex region of hair loss patients in comparison to healthy volunteers. Distinct microbial population were found in the middle and lower compartment of hair follicles. Middle hair compartment was predominated by Burkholderia sps, while higher bacterial diversity was observed in lower hair compartment. Occipital and vertex hair follicles did not show significant differences in microbiome. Increased abundance of Priopionibacterium acnes was associated with miniaturized hair follicles concomitant to elevated immune response gene expression. These findings opens new treatment opportunities in alleviating human hair loss condition.