Glycoconjugate Expression of Cells of Human Anagen Hair Follicles During Keratinization

The study investigated glycoconjugate expression in cells of human anagen hair follicles using lectin histochemistry. It found that Concanavalin A and Ricinus communis stained hair follicle cells at all differentiation stages. Ulex europeaus-I (UEA-I) and Glycine max (SBA) showed specific binding patterns in the inner root sheath (IRS) and outer root sheath (ORS) during keratinization. UEA-I bound to IRS cells early in differentiation, while SBA staining increased as differentiation progressed. ORS cells exhibited unique sugar moieties not found in other keratinocytes, with Dolichos biflorus (DBA) binding observed only in differentiated ORS cells. The study highlighted the complexity of carbohydrate metabolism in hair follicle cells and suggested that IM cells of ORS differentiate independently but are influenced by IRS keratinization.