GWAS for male-pattern baldness identifies 71 susceptibility loci explaining 38% of the risk

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01490-8
• Publication Date: 2017-11-13T11:44:47Z
• Authors: Nicola Pirastu; Peter K. Joshi; Paul S. de Vries; Marilyn C. Cornelis; Paul M. McKeigue; NaNa Keum; Nora Franceschini; Marco Colombo; Edward L. Giovann...; Athina Spiliopoulou; Lude Franke; Kari E. North; Peter Kraft; Alanna C. Morrison; Tõnu Esko; James F. Wilson
• Keywords: Male-pattern baldness; Genome-wide Association Study; Genetic architecture; Genetic Association

Male pattern baldness (MPB) or androgenetic alopecia is one of the most common conditions affecting men, reaching a prevalence ~50% by age 50; however, known genes explain little heritability. Here, we present results genome-wide association study including more than 70,000 identifying 71 independently replicated loci, which 30 are novel. These loci 38% risk, suggesting that MPB less genetically complex other traits. We show many these contain relevant to pathology and highlight pathways functions underlying baldness. Finally, despite only showing genetic correlation with height, pathway-specific correlations significant for traits lifespan cancer. Our not greatly increases number illuminating architecture, but also provides new approach disentangling shared biological diseases.