ARTICLE: Androgens, Androgen Receptors, and the Skin: From the Laboratory to the Clinic With Emphasis on Clinical and Therapeutic Implications

March 2020 | Volume 19 | Issue 3 | Supplement Individual Articles | 30 | Copyright © March 2020


Published online February 25, 2020

James Q. Del Rosso DO,a Leon H. Kircik MD,b Linda Stein Gold MD,c Diane Thiboutot MDd

aJDR Dermatology Research/Thomas Dermatology, Las Vegas, NV; Touro University Nevada, Henderson, NV bIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN; Physicians Skin Care, PLLC Louisville, KY; DermResearch, PLLC, Louisville, KY; Skin Sciences, PLLC, Louisville, KY cHenry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI dPenn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA

mean number of AR CAG repeat chain lengths is reported to be shortest for men of African descent (≤18--20), followed by Caucasian men (21--22), and with the longest AR CAG repeat chain lengths noted in East Asian men (22-23).6 As noted above, shorter AR CAG repeat chain lengths correlate directly with increased AR transcriptional activity in both normal skin and in association with disease states.6,7,13,14 Table 3 reviews important observations related to genetic and ethnic variations in androgen receptors and androgen physiology.

Modulation of Androgen Physiology and Therapeutic Interventions in Acne Vulgaris
Despite the central importance of androgens and sebaceous gland activity in the pathophysiology of AV, the availability of therapeutic agents that modulate androgen physiology and AR activity has been relatively limited.4,8,20,21 In the United States (US), the two major approaches have been systemic (oral) therapy with spironolactone (not Food and Drug Administration [FDA]-approved for AV), combination oral contraceptives