The Role of Androgen and Estrogen Receptors Alpha and Beta in thePathogenesis of Skin Tags
Journal of Pan-Arab League of Dermatologists
Vol. 20, No. 1, February 2009 Page 71- 78
The Role of Androgen and Estrogen Receptors Alpha and Beta in thePathogenesis of Skin Tags
Omar El Safoury, Lila Rashid and Magdy Ibrahim
Abstract
Background: The age of 50 was suggested to bethe turning point at which the development ofskin tags comes to a stop. Amajor event thatoccurs around this period of life is menopause /andropause. After menopause, estrogen receptorsamountsdecrease significantly. And sinceskin is considered as the largest nonreproductivetarget on which estrogens and androgensact, we therefore came to think of a possible relationshipbetween the pathogenesis of skin tagsand sex steroid balance.Another phenomenonis the association of skin tags with obesity whichmay also be explained by the interplay of sexsteroidsand their receptors in skin tags, wherein obese patients, hyperandrogenism occurs asa result of hyperinsulinaemia as well asperipheralconversion of estrogens into androgensin the excessive adipose tissue.
Objectives: To examine these hypotheses,wemeasured the level of androgen and estrogenreceptors alpha and beta in skin tags comparedto control. We alsocorrelated the level of receptorsto body mass index, and compared thoselevels in patients with acanthosis nigricanscomparedto normal.
Results: The level of estrogen receptors alphaand beta were significantly higher in skin tagsthan in controls with a Pvalue of 0.004 and0.001 respectively. The same upsurge was foundfor androgen receptors in skin tags relative tocontrol with a P value of 0.001. No statisticallysignificant difference in receptor level wasfound neither among patients with acanthosisnigricans and those without, nor in correlationto body mass index.
Conclusion: These results suggest a possiblerole ofandrogen and estrogen receptors in etiogenesisof skin tags, and propose that the neckis an androgen dependent area just like the axillaeand the groins, though hairless.
Journal of Pan-Arab League of Dermatologists
Vol. 20, No. 1, February 2009 Page 71- 78
The Role of Androgen and Estrogen Receptors Alpha and Beta in thePathogenesis of Skin Tags
Omar El Safoury, Lila Rashid and Magdy Ibrahim
Abstract
Background: The age of 50 was suggested to bethe turning point at which the development ofskin tags comes to a stop. Amajor event thatoccurs around this period of life is menopause /andropause. After menopause, estrogen receptorsamountsdecrease significantly. And sinceskin is considered as the largest nonreproductivetarget on which estrogens and androgensact, we therefore came to think of a possible relationshipbetween the pathogenesis of skin tagsand sex steroid balance.Another phenomenonis the association of skin tags with obesity whichmay also be explained by the interplay of sexsteroidsand their receptors in skin tags, wherein obese patients, hyperandrogenism occurs asa result of hyperinsulinaemia as well asperipheralconversion of estrogens into androgensin the excessive adipose tissue.
Objectives: To examine these hypotheses,wemeasured the level of androgen and estrogenreceptors alpha and beta in skin tags comparedto control. We alsocorrelated the level of receptorsto body mass index, and compared thoselevels in patients with acanthosis nigricanscomparedto normal.
Results: The level of estrogen receptors alphaand beta were significantly higher in skin tagsthan in controls with a Pvalue of 0.004 and0.001 respectively. The same upsurge was foundfor androgen receptors in skin tags relative tocontrol with a P value of 0.001. No statisticallysignificant difference in receptor level wasfound neither among patients with acanthosisnigricans and those without, nor in correlationto body mass index.
Conclusion: These results suggest a possiblerole ofandrogen and estrogen receptors in etiogenesisof skin tags, and propose that the neckis an androgen dependent area just like the axillaeand the groins, though hairless.