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

Author

Listed:
  • Nicola Pirastu

    (Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh)

  • Peter K. Joshi

    (Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh)

  • Paul S. de Vries

    (The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston)

  • Marilyn C. Cornelis

    (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine)

  • Paul M. McKeigue

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • NaNa Keum

    (Dongguk University
    Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health)

  • Nora Franceschini

    (University of North Carolina)

  • Marco Colombo

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Edward L. Giovannucci

    (Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
    Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
    Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School)

  • Athina Spiliopoulou

    (University of Edinburgh
    Pharmatics Ltd.)

  • Lude Franke

    (University Medical Center)

  • Kari E. North

    (University of North Carolina)

  • Peter Kraft

    (Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health)

  • Alanna C. Morrison

    (The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston)

  • Tõnu Esko

    (University of Tartu
    Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT)

  • James F. Wilson

    (Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh
    University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital)

Abstract

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

Suggested Citation

  • Nicola Pirastu & Peter K. Joshi & Paul S. de Vries & Marilyn C. Cornelis & Paul M. McKeigue & NaNa Keum & Nora Franceschini & Marco Colombo & Edward L. Giovannucci & Athina Spiliopoulou & Lude Franke , 2017. "GWAS for male-pattern baldness identifies 71 susceptibility loci explaining 38% of the risk," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-01490-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01490-8
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