Assessment of the Oxidative Stress Status in Androgenetic Alopecia in Egyptian Men

Background Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss in men. It is commonly known as a male pattern baldness. It is characterized by a stepwise miniaturization of the hair follicle, resulting from alteration in the hair cycle dynamics, leading to vellus transformation of terminal hair follicle. In AGA, the duration of anagen phase gradually decreases and that of telogen phase increases, the maximum length of the new anagen hair becomes shorter than that of its predecessor, leading to miniaturization and eventually a bald appearance. Aim of the Work To assess the expression of NRF2 in the scalp of men with androgenetic alopecia. Patients and Methods This case control study included 28 male patients whose age ranged from 18 to 45 years old. They were diagnosed as having AGA according to Norwood-Hamilton scale. Further, 28 age and sex matched healthy male controls were recruited. All patients and controls were recruited from the dermatology outpatient clinic of Ain-Shams University Hospitals, during the period of September 2018 to April 2019. Results A group of Twenty-eight male patients with AGA were recruited to the study. The of patients ranged from 18 to 45 years (mean = 33.46 years ± 9.9 SD). Twenty-eight age matched male healthy volunteers without AGA were e recruited. The majority of AGA patients had positive family history of AGA in their first degree relatives. None of our patients had a medical history of systemic diseases like diabetes mellitus or hypertension. Conclusion The current study showed that alteration of Nrf2 levels may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AGA.

Assessment of Human Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2 Related Factor 2 (NRF2) in Androgenetic Alopecia in Egyptian Men

Background Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss in men. It is commonly known as a male pattern baldness. It is characterized by a stepwise miniaturization of the hair follicle, resulting from alteration in the hair cycle dynamics, leading to vellus transformation of terminal hair follicle. In AGA, the duration of anagen phase gradually decreases and that of telogen phase increases, the maximum length of the new anagen hair becomes shorter than that of its predecessor, leading to miniaturization and eventually a bald appearance. Aim of the work To assess the expression of NRF2 in the scalp of men with androgenetic alopecia. Patients and Methods This case control study included 28 male patients whose age ranged from 18 to 45 years old. They were diagnosed as having AGA according to Norwood-Hamilton scale. Further, 28 age and sex matched healthy male controls were recruited. All patients and controls were recruited from the dermatology outpatient clinic of Ain-Shams University Hospitals, during the period of September 2018 to April 2019. Results A group of Twenty-eight male patients with AGA were recruited to the study. The of patients ranged from 18 to 45 years (mean = 33.46 years ± 9.9 SD). Twenty-eight age matched male healthy volunteers without AGA were e recruited. The majority of AGA patients had positive family history of AGA in their first degree relatives. None of our patients had a medical history of systemic diseases like diabetes mellitus or hypertension. Conclusion The current study showed that alteration of Nrf2 levels may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AGA.

A Histological study on the effect of Platelet Rich Plasma on Hair Growth in Male Albino Rat Model of Androgenic Alopecia

Background Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the commonest cause of hair loss in men with limited treatment options. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is defined as an autologous concentration of plasma with a greater count of platelets than that of whole blood. Its action depends on the released growth factors from platelets. It has been investigated and used in numerous fields of medicine. Recently, PRP has received growing attention as a potential therapeutic tool for hair loss. Aim of the work This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of PRP therapy on experimentally induced AGA in male albino rats. Materials and Methods Eighteen rats were divided into 3 groups - Group I (the control group), Group II (testosterone group): rats were injected 0.1 ml testosterone daily in the shaved area of the dorsum , Group III (PRP group): rats were injected 0.1 ml of testosterone daily+ 0.1 ml of PRP every 3 days in the shaved area of their dorsum. After 21 days from the start of the experiment, skin samples were collected from the site of injection and prepared for histological examination by hematoxylin and eosin stain and immunohistochemical examination by anti Ki 67. Morphometrical and statistical analysis were performed. Results Testosterone group when compared to the control group showed a significant decrease in the mean epidermal thickness, decreased mean number of anagen hair follicles, increase in the mean number of telogen hair follicles and decreased anagen/telogen ratio, all were statistically significant (P < 0.05). PRP group showed significant increase in the mean number of anagen hair follicles (p < 0.05), and a decrease in the mean number of telogen hair follicles (p < 0.05). This resulted in an increase in anagen/telogen ratio. There was also a significant increase in the mean epidermal thickness in the PRP group as compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemical examination of anti Ki 67 stained sections showed significant decrease of the mean number of Ki 67 positive basal epidermal cells (P < 0.05) in the testosterone group compared to control group, and an increase in the mean number of Ki 67 positive basal epidermal cells in the PRP group (p < 0.05) as compared to the control group and the testosterone group. Conclusion Our data suggest that PRP injections may have a positive therapeutic effect on experimentally induced androgenic alopecia in adult male albino rats.

The role of USP7 in the Shoc2 - ERK1/2 signaling axis and Noonan-like syndrome with loose anagen hair (NSLAH)

The ERK1/2 signaling pathway is critical in organismal development and tissue morphogenesis. Deregulation of this pathway leads to congenital abnormalities with severe developmental dysmorphisms. The core ERK1/2 cascade relies on scaffold proteins such as Shoc2 to guide and fine-tune its signals. Mutations in shoc2 lead to the development of the pathology termed Noonan-like Syndrome with Loose Anagen Hair (NSLAH). However, the mechanisms underlying the functions of Shoc2 and its contributions to disease progression remain unclear. Here we show that ERK1/2 pathway activation triggers the interaction of Shoc2 with the ubiquitin-specific protease USP7. We identify that in the Shoc2 module USP7 functions as a molecular “switch” that controls the E3 ligase HUWE1 and the HUWE1-induced regulatory feedback loop. We also demonstrate that disruption of Shoc2-USP7 binding leads to aberrant activation of the Shoc2-ERK1/2 axis. Importantly, our studies reveal a possible role for USP7 in the pathogenic mechanisms underlying NSLAH extending our understanding of how ubiquitin-specific proteases regulate intracellular signaling.

Trichotillomania Masked by Diffuse Alopecia Areata: A Case Report

An 11-year-old girl previously treated for tinea capitis presented a 3-month history of continuous decrease in hair density on the vertex, frontal, and parieto-temporal areas of the scalp. Hair pull test was negative. Trichoscopic findings showed black dots, micro-exclamation point hairs, regrowing vellus hair, and zigzag hairs. Histopathology showed CD3+ peribulbar lymphocytic infiltrates and occasional eosinophils around the anagen hair follicle consistent with a non-scarring alopecia. A diagnosis of diffuse alopecia areata was made. Patient was given methylprednisolone (0.5 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks and noted marked increase in hair density except on focal areas of the scalp. Patient eventually admitted to occasional hair pulling. Trichoscopy revealed trichoptilosis, V-sign, tulip hairs, and multiple broken hairs of varying length while a second biopsy showed trichomalacia and pigment casts consistent with trichotillomania. In this case, where co-existence of alopecia areata and trichotillomania is considered to be uncommon, trichoscopy proved to be an important tool in differentiating hair disorders with similar presentation. Knowing key features of hair diseases can help elucidate the diagnosis when presented with an atypical case.

Parallel independent losses of g-type lysozyme genes in hairless aquatic mammals

Lysozyme enzymes provide classic examples of molecular adaptation and parallel evolution, however, nearly all insights to date come from c-type lysozymes. G-type lysozymes occur in diverse vertebrates, with multiple independent duplications reported. Most mammals possess two g-type lysozyme genes (Lyg1 and Lyg2), the result of an early duplication, although some lineages are known to have subsequently lost one copy. Here we examine g-type lysozyme evolution across > 250 mammals, and reveal widespread losses of either Lyg1 or Lyg2 in several divergent taxa across the mammal tree of life. At the same time, we report strong evidence of extensive losses of both gene copies in cetaceans and sirenians, with an additional putative case of parallel loss in the tarsier. To validate these findings, we inspected published short-read data and confirmed the presence of loss of function mutations. Despite these losses, comparisons of selection pressures between intact g- and c-type lysozyme genes showed stronger purifying selection in the former, indicative of conserved function. Although the reasons for the evolutionary loss of g-type lysozymes in fully aquatic mammals is not known, we suggest that this is likely to at least partially relate to their hairlessness. Indeed, while Lyg1 does not show tissue-specific expression, recent studies have linked Lyg2 expression to anagen hair follicle development and hair loss. Such a role for g-type lysozyme would explain why the Lyg2 gene became obsolete when these taxa lost their body hair.