HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

From Cell Biology to Tissue Engineering

 

Immunoexpression of adhesion molecules during human fetal hair development

Laura Maria Andrade Silva1, Ricardo Hsieh2, Silvia Vanessa Lourenço3, Verônica Ottoni2, Neusa Valente4 and Juliana Dumet Fernandes1

1Postgraduate Program in Medicine and Health, School of Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Bahia, 2Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo -IMT-, 3Stomatology Department, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo and 4Dermatopathology Department, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Offprint requests to: Laura Maria Andrade Silva, Dermatology University/Hospital, Hospitalar Complex Professor Edgar Santos -HUPES, R. Dr. Augusto Viana, S/n - Canela, Salvador - BA, Salvador, Bahia, 40110-060, Brazil. e-mail: contato@dralauraandrade.com


Summary. Introduction. Hair follicles are produced in a cyclical manner and the machinery involved in the reproduction of these follicles is present since the fetal stage. Although extensive research has been done on the human hair follicle, very little is known about the importance of adhesion molecules in its development. Material and methods. We analyzed here, the immunoexpression of beta-1 integrin, p-cadherin, e-cadherin, and beta-catenin in hair follicles from 26 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded skin samples from human embryos and fetus between 12-23 weeks of gestational age. Results. The adhesion molecules beta-1 integrin and e-cadherin/p-cadherin were expressed from 12 weeks and seemed to play a role in regulating epidermis invagination. Beta-catenin immunostaining was negative in all cases; down regulation of this protein may be necessary for fetal hair development and thus facilitating hair follicle down growth. Discussion/Conclusion. Adhesion molecules are essential for hair follicle down growth and proliferation; integrins and cadherins play a major role in this process. More studies are needed to describe hair follicle development. Histol Histopathol 35, 911-917 (2020)

Key words: Adhesion molecules, Hair follicle, Fetal development, Immunohistochemistry

DOI: 10.14670/HH-18-224