Immunological Characteristics and Histological Distribution of Human Hair Fibrous Proteins Studied with Anti-Hair Keratin Monoclonal Antibodies HKN-2, HKN-4, and HKN-6
February 1986
in “
Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry
”
TLDR Some hair proteins are specific to hair, while others are also found in skin cells.
The study produced monoclonal antibodies HKN-2, HKN-4, and HKN-6 to investigate the immunological characteristics of human hair fibrous proteins. HKN-2 and HKN-4 marked both hair and epidermal fibrous proteins, while HKN-6 was specific to hair proteins. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that all three antibodies stained the keratogenous zone of anagen hairs, with HKN-6 being highly specific to hair and not reacting with other skin or organ tissues. HKN-2 reacted with various skin epithelial tissues, and HKN-4 showed broad cross-reactivity with epithelial cells in the skin and other organs. The study concluded that some hair fibrous protein components were specific to hair cells, while others cross-reacted with epithelial cells, suggesting the antibodies' utility in examining epithelial cell differentiation.
