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IS BALDNESS IN YOUR DNA? NEW GENE TEST: Company says men with one genetic variant have 60 percent chance of going bald by age 40

It used to be that checking out the hairlines of other men in the family was the usual way to predict whether a man might expect to lose his hair one day. Now, there’s a DNA test.

The test, called Hair DX, looks for a genetic variant found in most bald men. Men who test positive for the variant have a 60 percent chance of going bald by age 40, according to the company that offers it, also called Hair DX, which says the test also identifies a less-common variant of the same gene that, if present, means a man has an 85 percent chance of not going bald.

Scientists haven’t identified all of the genes that contribute to male-pattern baldness. But Hair DX says the DNA test is the first to analyze a gene known to be strongly associated with the condition: the androgen receptor.

No independent research has been done on the accuracy of the Hair DX test itself, which has been offered since January, though studies have shown that men who have certain variants of the androgen receptor gene are at higher risk for male-pattern baldness.

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To read the full article click on to: http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/870638,CST-NWS-bald01.article

P2RY5 is the cause of hair loss

RESEARCHERS have found the genetic basis of two distinct forms of inherited hair loss, opening a broad path to treatments for thinning locks, according to a recent pair of studies.

Geneticist Regina Betz of the University of Bonn and her colleagues hunted down a gene P2RY5 that causes a rare, inherited form of hair loss called Hypotrichosis simplex. They found their quarry, after six years of research, among families in Saudi Arabia. It is the first receptor in humans known to play a role in hair growth, according to the study.

The disease affects both men and women, who begin to go bald during childhood.

At fault is a genetic defect that prevents certain receptors on the surface of hair follicle cells from being correctly formed.

For the hair follicle to function normally, messengers must bind to these receptors, triggering a chain reaction in the cell interior. The fact that a receptor plays a specific role in hair growth was previously unknown to scientists.

“We can now search selectively for related substances that may be used in therapies for very different types of hair loss,” said a researcher.

In the other study, Angela Christiano of Columbia University lead a team that found another mutation of the same gene that results in “woolly hair” — sparse, dry and tightly curled hair over the entire scalp.

Examining families in Pakistan, the researchers determined that the mutation is expressed in the inner root sheath of hair follicles, which anchor and shape individual hairs.

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Hair Loss Gene Identified

People anxious over their hair loss might not need to worry anymore, for a gene that prevents regeneration of hair has been identified – opening a broad path to treatments for thinning locks.

A healthy individual loses about 100 strands of hair daily, with losses occurring evenly around the whole scalp. However, this hair is replaced.

The problem begins when the shedding goes beyond that number, and replacement lags.

Now, after six years of study, researchers at the University of Bonn have identified a gene that causes a rare hereditary form of hair loss – Hypotrichosis simplex – throwing open the possibility of regenerating hair.

These researchers are the first to identify a receptor that plays a role in hair growth. They now hope that their research findings will lead to new therapies that will work with various forms of hair loss.

“Although Hypotrichosis simplex is very uncommon, it may prove critical in our search for an understanding of the mechanisms of hair growth,” Nature quoted project leader Dr. Regina Betz from Bonn’s Institute of Human Genetics, as saying.

At fault is a genetic defect that prevents certain receptors on the surface of hair follicle cells from being correctly formed.

For the hair follicle to function normally, messengers must bind to these receptors, triggering a chain reaction in the cell interior.

The fact that a receptor plays a specific role in hair growth was previously unknown.

Professor Dr. Markus Nothen, who holds the Chair of Genetic Medicine at Bonn University’s Life & Brain Centre, said: “The defective receptor structure falls into the category of what are known as G-protein-coupled receptors.”

This is good news, Dr Nothen says, because, “they are particularly well suited as points of impact for drug treatments.”

The researchers have also been able to find an endogenous messenger that binds in the hair follicle to the receptor, which opens up opportunities for developing new active agents.

As part of the study, another member of the project team, dermatologist Khalid Al Aboud of the King Faisal Hospital in Makkah examined a Saudi Arabian family with Hypotrichosis simplex.

DNA samples from the parents and from nine of their 10 children – including four sufferers – were analysed, providing the researchers the key to understanding some of the fundamental mechanisms of hair growth and loss.

The researchers now hope that this individual genetic case will lead to developments that can benefit more patients.

The study is due to appear in the March edition of Nature Genetics.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Vitiligo (Depigmentation, Loss of Skin Pigmentation, Skin Discolouring)

In this factsheet:

    * The Facts on Vitiligo
    * Causes of Vitiligo
    * Symptoms and Complications of Vitiligo
    * Diagnosing Vitiligo
    * Treating and Preventing Vitiligo

The Facts on Vitiligo

Affecting 1% to 2% of the population, vitiligo (pronounced “vit-il-eye-go”) is a skin condition in which a loss of pigment causes the skin to appear white (depigmentation). Irregular white patches may occur on any area of the body. Due to the difference between the affected and unaffected areas, this condition is more visible in people with darker skin. The condition can affect anyone.

This condition can also affect mucous membranes and the retina of the eye. The hair that grows in areas affected by vitiligo may also turn white.
Causes of Vitiligo

In the skin, cells called melanocytes produce pigment that gives the skin its colour.Melanin is the pigment produced by the melanocytes. It provides pigmentation for skin, hair, and eyes. When the melanocytes are destroyed, skin cells appear white, and this causes vitiligo.

The reason for the loss of pigment from various parts of the body is not well understood. People with a family history of vitiligo are more likely to have the condition. Vitiligo is also associated with the following diseases:

    * pernicious anemia
    * hyperthyroidism
    * Addison’s disease

Symptoms and Complications of Vitiligo

Symptoms of vitiligo include the appearance of irregular white patches, or various degrees of depigmentation on the body. People often notice the loss of pigment on the following areas first:

    * face
    * lips
    * hands
    * arms
    * feet

The other areas where white patches due to vitiligo may occur are:

    * armpits
    * eyes
    * genitals
    * groin
    * navel
    * nostrils

Melanin also protects the skin from the sun. Due to the lack of pigmentation in the skin, there is a greater risk for sun sensitivity in affected areas. Vitiligo increases the chance of sunburn and the development of skin cancer in people with the condition.

Vitiligo is not a contagious condition.

Diagnosing Vitiligo

To determine the presence of vitiligo, your doctor will need to perform a physical examination. He or she may also ask about your general health and family history of vitiligo (to see if there is a genetic link). Other factors leading to the onset of vitiligo often include a rash, sunburn, or trauma (e.g., a scrape or wound) to the area where vitiligo is first noticed.

To get a better idea of which skin areas have been affected, your doctor will shine a Wood’s lamp on the affected skin in a dark room. Ultraviolet (UV) light from the Wood’s lamp causes the skin to appear different colours depending on the underlying condition of the skin. With vitiligo, there is no colour and so the skin appears very white, with no pigment. The Wood’s lamp allows doctors to see areas affected by vitiligo that may appear normal under regular light.

To test for conditions or diseases associated with vitiligo, your doctor may take a blood sample to check the:

    * blood cell count (related to pernicious anemia)
    * TSH function of the thyroid (related to hyperthyroidism)
    * number of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) to determine if you have an autoimmune disease (related to Addison’s disease or other autoimmune diseases)

A biopsy of the affected areas may be needed to look at the cells under a microscope. And in some cases, an examination of the eyes may be necessary.
Treating and Preventing Vitiligo

Various types of treatment are available for vitiligo. For people with fair skin, treatment may require that the individual avoid the sun in order to prevent tanning. By doing so, the pigmented skin does not tan, and the affected areas are less noticeable.

For people with a greater contrast between the affected and unaffected areas, the following options exist to help disguise or treat vitilgo:

    * make-up
    * depigmentation
    * repigmentation
    * grafting

Waterproof make-up is available in many different colours to match many different skin colours. This is a good choice to effectively cover affected white patches and is safe for everyone including children.

Depigmentation is a treatment in which a person may choose to remove the pigmentation from the unaffected skin areas to better match the affected areas. This is used in cases where vitiligo is extensive. The person uses a cream containing monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone to remove remaining pigment. This process takes a long time to complete, sometimes a year or more. Removal of pigment is permanent

Repigmentation, a treatment that aims to restore pigment in affected areas, is another treatment option for people with vitiligo. Choices for repigmentation include:

    * dyes
    * self-tanning products
    * micro-pigmentation tattooing
    * creams containing corticosteroid compounds
    * creams containing immunomodulator compounds
    * grafting
    * phototherapy(psoralen photochemotherapy and narrow band UVB phototherapy)

Stains may be useful to dye the skin a colour that more closely matches the unaffected areas. Certain self-tanning products contain dihydroxyacetone that produces a tan and does not require the melanocytes in the skin to produce melanin. The tan fades over time and must be repeated. Micro-pigmentation tattooing is useful for small white patches associated with vitiligo. This method also adds colour to the white patch.

Two types of cream exist that contain compounds that help repigment the skin. Creams containing corticosteroid compounds are able to help regain pigment in small white patches where vitiligo occurs. Creams containing corticosteroids may damage the skin and must be carefully prescribed. Other creams containing immunomodulator compounds help repigment the white patches.

With grafting, doctors transplant skin to the affected area(s) from another part of the body. However, despite the transplant, pigment does not always return to the vitiligo-affected area.

Psoralen treatment, also called psoralen photochemotherapy (PUVA), uses a combination of a psoralen medication as well as exposure to UVA ultraviolet light. In this process, the person takes psoralen either orally (by mouth) or applies a cream containing psoralen to the skin before exposure to the ultraviolet light. Exposure to ultraviolet light causes a high sensitivity to light and increases the possibility of pigment returning to the affected areas. Many risks are associated with this type of treatment due to the damaging effects of UVA light. Some of the side effects include:

    * increased risk of skin cancer
    * sunburn
    * itching
    * hyperpigmentation (dark spots on the skin)

If taking a psoralen medication orally, these additional side effects may occur:

    * nausea
    * damage to eyes due to light sensitivity
    * abnormal hair growth

A dermatologist must closely supervise this treatment. It is not recommended for children under 12 years of age.

Narrow band UVB phototherapy uses UVB light to stimulate repigmentation of the affected areas of skin.

There is no cure for vitiligo. No methods prevent vitiligo but using sunscreens with a minimum of SPF 15 to protect your skin from the sun is always a healthy decision.

Emotional support is another important part of vitiligo therapy. The skin changes caused by vitiligo can affect people emotionally and socially. Joining a support group or seeing a counsellor can help people cope with these effects.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Useful Links:

http://www.vitiligosociety.org.uk/

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=391

http://www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk/standard.aspx?id=166

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069065/

Why does some people's hair turn grey or even white?

Question: Why does some people’s hair turn grey or even white?

Answer: Leaves turn beautiful colors each autumn as they lose their pigment, die and fall off the tree. As we age, our “leaves” turn grey or white as the hair’s pigment cells – which give hair its colour – die.

This loss of pigment, called melanin, is due mainly to the natural aging process and genetics, but it also is the result of things we do to our body. For example, have you ever noticed that some longtime smokers look older, greyer and more wrinkled than they should for their age?

A 1996 research study published in the British Medical Journal looked at 152 men and 152 women who smoked.

They observed that 14 of those men and 67 of those women developed gray hair before the age of 50.

Among nonsmokers in the same age groups, there were half as many grey heads. The researchers were unable to explain the reason for the link between smoking and grayness, although they speculated that smoking may somehow accelerate the body’s biological clock. Alcoholism and poor nutrition also may speed greying.

This biological clock is rooted in our genes. Wrinkles (sun damage excluded), hair loss and grey vs. white hair are just a few of the age-related changes programmed into each of us. As we unravel the mysteries of our DNA, we may one day have the ability to repair defective or damaged genetic information. While turning back the grey hair clock seems trivial compared with more serious health concerns, the aging process is linked to serious diseases like Alzheimer’s.

And bear in mind that the age at which grey or white hair will appear on your head is largely inherited. If either of your parents or older siblings develop premature greyness, you may, too.

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