Background: The frequent coexistence of obesity and metabolic syndrome in patients with Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), may indicate a common pathogenetic pathway with adipokines being a possible implicating cytokine.
Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the changes in serum levels of adipokines, insulin resistance, vitamin D status and their relationship with AGA, and the relationship between serum levels of adipokines and insulin resistance.
Methods: 80 male patients with AGA were selected as the experimental group and 60 healthy males served as the control group. Both the AGA group and healthy control group were divided into 2 groups according to the presence or absence of insulin resistance (IR): the IR group and the NIR group. Serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, visfatin, insulin and 25(OH)D were evaluated in all subjects.
Results: Compared with the control group, AGA patients showed higher serum levels of leptin and lower adiponectin/leptin (Adpn/Lep) ratio (P< 0.05), and both were positively correlated with the severity of the disease. Compared with the AGA NIR group, serum leptin levels were increased in the AGA IR group (P< 0.05). AGA IR group and AGA NIR group possessed lower Adpn/Lep ratio when compared with the healthy IR group and healthy NIR group respectively (P< 0.05). The multi-factor logistic regression analysis results showed decreased Adpn/Lep level and increased leptin level as risk factors for AGA. AGA Patients had lower vitamin D levels than healthy controls (P< 0.05).
Conclusion: Patients with AGA show an imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines, and probably be involved in AGA pathogenesis. Insulin resistance may influence levels of adipokines, but the present findings cannot indicate insulin resistance plays a role in the onset of AGA. The insufficiency and deficiency of vitamin D are common health concern in our subjects and may be involved in the dysfunction of adipocytes and the development of AGA.
Keywords: androgenetic alopecia, adipokines, leptin, vitamin D