Claudin-1 and Claudin-3 Maintain Proper Hair Follicle Structure and Regulate Telogen Effluvium

April 2018 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”

Kosuke Yamaga, Reitaro Tokumasu, Akinaru Yamamoto, Atsushi Tamura, Ichiro Katayama, Hiroyuki Murota, Sachiko Tsukita

Claudin-1 Claudin-3 telogen effluvium hair follicle alopecia immunohistochemical staining inner bulge cell layer sebaceous gland hair loss hair follicle structure hair follicle integrity

TLDR Claudin-1 and Claudin-3 are crucial for keeping hair follicle structure and preventing a type of hair loss called telogen effluvium.

The document from 2018 investigated the importance of Claudin-1 and Claudin-3 in hair follicle integrity and their role in preventing telogen effluvium, a type of hair loss. Using immunohistochemical staining on murine hair follicles, the study found that these proteins are located in specific regions of the hair follicle, including the inner bulge cell layer and sebaceous gland. Mice with knockdowns of either Claudin-1 or Claudin-3 had normal hair, but those with both proteins knocked down experienced significant hair loss during their first telogen phase, with a disorganized and enlarged bulge region. This suggests that Claudin-1 and Claudin-3 are essential for maintaining hair follicle cell structure and alignment, and could be targets for alopecia treatment.