Androgen receptor in human skin

Cytosol androgen receptor was assayed in 18 human skin biopsies by an exchange technique with a labelled potent synthetic androgen, methyltrienolone (R 1881), under conditions which measured total (i.e. both free and occupied) binding sites. Androgen binding sites were only present in skin biopsies from patients with marked seborrhoea often accompanied by acne (8 cases) and no sites were detected in normal skin biopsies (7 cases). Three biopsies from seborrhoeic patients, however, did not contain androgen receptor. Although no direct quantitative correlation could be drawn between binding site concentration and sebum excretion, it would seem that the androgen receptor content nevertheless constitutes an important parameter in the study of the hormonal control of seborrhoea.