Transcriptome profiling reveals different expression pattern between beard and scalp hair follicle in androgenetic alopecia.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a progressive dermatological disorder of scalp hair loss, while beard growth in AGA is normally unaffected. In an attempt to identify genes that contribute to the androgen-responsive phenotype, we performed a thorough transcriptome profiling of hair follicles (HFs) from frontal and occipital scalp, chin and armpit. Through this analysis, three specifiic different expressed genes(LGALS7B, FABP4, FOS) were identified using qPCR, immunofluorescence. The differences in the expression of these genes in cultured beard and frontal HF reflected less inflammation and immune response, more active keratinization and PPARs signaling in beard HFs compared to frontal HFs. This profiling results be used to understand the different molecular mechanism of hair growth between AGA beard and HF, and those provided a possibility for the enlarged beard phenotype and AGA treatment. Overall design: hair follicle mRNA profiles of hair follicles from frontal and occipital scalp, chin and armpit in androgenetic alopecia.