Are certain gene variants (in the PITX2 gene) linked to a higher chance of male pattern baldness specifically in Indian men?

Male pattern baldness has a genetic component beyond the well-known androgen receptor gene, and this particular gene (PITX2) appears relevant specifically in an Indian population -- reinforcing that family history and genetics, not lifestyle, are the dominant drivers for most men with classic pattern baldness.

What they did

Compared specific PITX2 gene variants between 70 Indian men with androgenetic alopecia and 60 men without it, to see which gene variants were linked to higher odds of baldness.

What they found

Several PITX2 variants were linked to much higher odds of androgenetic alopecia: one variant (rs2200733, CT genotype) was associated with roughly 6-fold higher odds (P<0.001); another (rs13143308, GT genotype) with about 4-fold higher odds (P<0.001); a third (rs10033464, G allele) with roughly 2-fold higher odds (P<0.019). Men carrying multiple risk variants had up to 13-fold greater odds of alopecia versus men with none.

Limitations

Small sample (70 cases vs 60 controls) -- the authors themselves flag the 'relatively small sample size' as needing larger-scale validation; a single genetic marker study cannot be used for individual risk prediction; the case-control design cannot establish how large a role this gene plays compared with already well-established genes (like the androgen receptor).

Who paid for it

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Senior Research Fellowship and ICMR Adhoc Project support (Indian government, academic, non-industry)

Read the original

Association between PITX2 polymorphism and androgenetic alopecia in the Indian population ↗ · Murugan M, Sadasivam IP, Manoharan A, Jayakumar S, Vetriselvan Y, Samuel MS, Sambandam R · DOI 10.25259/IJDVL_1147_2023