Abstract: Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and androgen receptor (AR) assays were performed with fluorescent steroid hormone conjugate technique in 21 patients with alopecia areata and 16 controls.All specimens were taken from scalp biopsies.In patients with alopecia areata, the percentage of PR staining cells in the hasal layer of the lesions increased (P<0.05), and the percentage of AR staining cells in the secretion portion of sweat gland decreased significantly (P<0.01).The percentages of positive ER, PR staining cells in the outer root sheath of lesional scalps were significantly higher than those of the controls (P<0.01).The positive ER, PR and AR staining cells were seen in the bulb matrix of lesion, whereas in normal scalp the bulb matrix showed no ER, PR and AR staining.The positive ER, PR and AR staining cells of bulb papilla in lesions decreased significantly (P<0.01).There was no significant difference of the ER, PR, and AR staining cells on arrector pill and sebaceous gland between the patients and controls.

Key words: Alopecia areata, Receptors, estrogen, Receptors, progesterone, Receptors, androgen