Preliminary Findings on Lectin Binding in Human Follicular Epithelium

The study from 1990 investigated the presence of glycoconjugates in the cell membranes of the outer and inner root sheaths of human anagen hair follicles using various lectins. It was found that the outer root sheath showed intense labeling with UEA-I, DBA, Con A, and PNA, while the inner root sheath was intensely labeled with UEA-I, WGA, RCA, and SBA. The results indicated that different glycoconjugates characterized the cell membranes of the outer and inner root sheaths, and the labeling with UEA-I, SBA, and DBA was related to the differentiation process within the follicle.