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Evidence of Androgen Receptor Expression in Lichen Sclerosus: An Immunohistochemical Study

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Abstract

Objective

While topical androgen administration is widely used in the treatment of lichen sclerosus of the vulva, localization and level of expression of androgen receptor (AR) have not been described previously.

Methods

Thirty-nine paraffin-embedded punch biopsies of patients with lichen sclerosus of the vulva were examined. Androgen receptor, estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) expression in lichen sclerosus and in normal vulvar skin were investigated by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Five tissue specimens (12.8%) of lichen sclerosus showed nuclear staining with anti-AR in the parabasal cell layers of the epidermis. Median age of patients with positive nuclear staining for AR versus women without AR expression was 71 (range, 63-78) and 66.5 (range, 38-91) years, respectively. Estrogen receptor expression was present in only one patient. Nuclear staining reaction for PR expression was absent in all cases. Four of the five AR-positive women reported no complaints and therefore received no topical testosterone therapy.

Conclusion

Our results suggest a lack of complaints in AR-positive lichen sclerosus patients. Our findings could justify a larger study comparing symptoms of patients with and without AR expression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Freiburg University Medical Center, Hugstetter-strasse 55, D-79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Petra D. Kohlberger MD, Elmar A. Joura MD, Dagmar Bancher MD, Gerald Gitsch MD, Gerhard Breitenecker MD & Dirk G. Kieback MD

  2. Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Pathology, University Medical Center, Vienna, Austria

    Petra D. Kohlberger MD, Elmar A. Joura MD, Dagmar Bancher MD, Gerald Gitsch MD, Gerhard Breitenecker MD & Dirk G. Kieback MD

Authors
  1. Petra D. Kohlberger MD
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  2. Elmar A. Joura MD
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  3. Dagmar Bancher MD
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  4. Gerald Gitsch MD
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  5. Gerhard Breitenecker MD
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  6. Dirk G. Kieback MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Petra D. Kohlberger MD.

Additional information

The authors thank G. Dudek for technical assistance.

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Kohlberger, P.D., Joura, E.A., Bancher, D. et al. Evidence of Androgen Receptor Expression in Lichen Sclerosus: An Immunohistochemical Study. Reprod. Sci. 5, 331–333 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1177/107155769800500610

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/107155769800500610

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