Mh. Choi et al., Biochemical roles of testosterone and epitestosterone to 5 alpha-reductaseas indicators of male-pattern baldness, J INVES DER, 116(1), 2001, pp. 57-61
In establishing a theory to predict male-pattern baldness, we investigated
the correlation of testosterone, epitestosterone, and dihydrotestosterone w
ith 5 alpha -reductase in hair using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
One hundred milligram hair samples were obtained from a group of balding su
bjects and their sons, as well as from a corresponding aged-matched, nonbal
ding group. The ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone was significantly
greater (mean 46.41, p < 0.001; mean 35.83, p < 0.001, respectively) in the
hair of balding fathers (n = 19, age 28-50 y) and their sons (n = 16, age
8-16 y) than in the hair of the nonbalding control subjects (mean 9.17 and
10.47, respectively). These findings demonstrate that analysis of terminal
hair may not only provide a basis for predicting baldness when the subject
is still young, but also for preventing and treating male-pattern baldness
by controlling the steroid hormone balance.