Expression of Androgen Receptor and Apolipoprotein D in Apocrine Glands of Human Axillae from Osmidrosis

Objective: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of androgen receptor(AR) and apolipoprotein D(ApoD) in apocrine glands from human axillae of osmidrosis patients.Methods: The immunohistochemical SP method was used to examine the expression of AR and ApoD in apocrine glands,which have three different secretory phases,from human axillae of osmidrosis patients and normal subjects(non-osmidrosis patients).Image analysis system was applied to measure the expression level of AR and ApoD in the whole field of apocrine glands and in the three different secretory phases of apocrine glands.Results: The whole secretory activities of apocrine glands from human axillae showed the characteristics of periodicity(pre-secretory phase,secretory phase and post-secretory phase)and asynchrony.The expression of AR and ApoD was found significantly higher in the apocrine glands from osmidrosis patients than that in the apocrine glands from normal subjects.The expression levels of AR and ApoD in the three different secretory phases were different.The expression level of ApoD was closely related to that of AR in apocrine glands from human axillae of osmidrosis patients and nomal subjects.Conclusion: The pathogenesis of osmidrosis may be related to the high expression of AR and ApoD in apocrine glands of human axillae.