Expression of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-3 in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Case-Control Study

Background: Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 belongs to a group of latent transcription factors phosphorylated and activated by several protein tyrosine kinases, including members of Janus kinases (JAKs) family. It has been implicated that the JAK-STAT pathway activation could promote quiescence in the hair cycle, and topical treatment of mouse and human skin with JAK inhibitors was shown to result in rapid hair growth. Objective: Our aim was to assess the tissue expression of STAT3 in patients with androgenetic alopecia and correlate it with disease severity and clinical parameters. Methods: Twenty-five androgenetic alopecia patients who served as both cases and controls were included in this study. Full clinical examination was done and tissue STAT3 gene expression was then measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Scalp tissue affected by androgenetic alopecia shows significantly higher STAT3 gene expression levels compared to unaffected (androgen independent) areas (p < 0.001), but no statistically significant relation was found between tissue STAT3 expression level and severity of hair loss (p = 0.660). Limitations: Limited sample size. Conclusion: This study demonstrated an upregulation in STAT3 gene expression in androgenetic alopecia. Further studies are needed to assess the possible role of the JAK-STAT pathway in the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia.