Hair folicle

The authors indicated examinations of actual immune states in 42 patients with alopecia areata in whom no cause of the disease was stated. The examination revealed a deficit in the cellular component of immunity and an increased level of immunoglobulin M and C3 component of complement. The examination of these patients included also the direct immunofluorescence examination of a skin excision from the alopetic focus. Out of 43 examined patients 30 had positive immunocomplex findings. Immunocomplexes were most frequently constituted of M immunoglobulin, C3 component of complement, as well as of A and G immunoglobulins...

Keratins produced by morphologically distinct compartments of the human hair folicle (hHF) were analysed and compared to those produced by cultured hHF and interfollicular keratinocytes. Five of the major keratins, the basic keratins nos. 5 and 6 (apparent mol. mass 60 and 58 kDa) and the acidic keratins nos. 14, 16, and 17 (51, 49 and 48 kDa), could be labelled in intact hHF and were found in all fractions of the outer root sheath (ORS). The other major keratins, which were not labelled under these conditions (basic-neutral hHbI and -II; 60-62 kDa and acidic hHaI and -II; 40-42 kDa) were associated with hair shaft (hHS) both in the follicle and, virtually unchanged, in the distal part of the hair...