Background: Hair transplantation (HT) has been reported to be effective for the treatment of female-pattern hair loss (FPHL). Few studies have investigated HT in FPHL. Objective: To evaluate the clinical features of FPHL treated with HT and analyze the real-world results of HT. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 195 FPHL patients who underwent hair transplants. The patients’ demographics, clinical features, and clinical courses of HT were recorded. Results: The mean (±SD) age of patients was 49.1±11.9 years. Analysis of the severity of hair loss showed that 31.8%, 49.7%, and 18.5% of patients had F1, F2, and F3 types of hair loss (according to the BASP Classification); 88.2% of patients had more than 75% satisfaction with HT. The satisfaction level was significantly higher in the group that had the highest number of hairs implanted. Complications such as pain, facial edema, folliculitis, scar, paresthesia, telogen effluvium were found. Conclusion This study could provide substantial information of HT in FPHL. Clinicians could deliver more sufficient counsel to FPHL patients about HT.

BACKGROUND: Transcription factor FOXP3 characterizes the thymically derived regulatory T cells. FOXP3 is expressed by cancer cell itself and FOXP3 expression was induced by TGF-beta treatment in pancreatic cancer cell line. However, the expression of FOXP3 expression is not well known in patients with lung cancer. This study was conducted to investigate the expression of FOXP3 in patients with lung cancer and to investigate the regulation of FOXP3 expression by the treatment of TGF-beta and DNA methyltransferase inhibitor in lung cancer cell lines. METHODS: FOXP3 expression in the tissue of patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The regulation of FOXP3 expression was investigated by Western blot and RT-PCR after lung cancer cell lines were stimulated with TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2. The regulation of FOXP3 expression was also investigated by RT-PCR and flow cytometry after lung cancer cell lines were treated with DNA methyltransferase inhibitor (5-AZA-dC). RESULTS: FOXP3 expression was confirmed in 27% of patients with NSCLC. In NCI-H460 cell line, TGF-beta2 decreased FOXP3 mRNA and protein expressions. In A549 cell line, both TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 decreased FOXP3 mRNA and protein expressions. 5-AZA-dC increased FOXP3 mRNA expression in NCI-H460 and A549 cell lines. Moreover, 5-AZA-dC increased intracellular FOXP3 protein expression in A549 cell lines. CONCLUSION: It was shown that FOXP3 is expressed by cancer cell itself in patients with NSCLC. Treatment of TGF-beta2 and DNA methyltransferase inhibitor seems to be associated with the regulation of FOXP3 expression in lung cancer cell lines.
Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Cell Line ; DNA ; DNA Methylation ; Flow Cytometry ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; RNA, Messenger ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Transcription Factors ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Transforming Growth Factor beta2