Proriatic hair follicle cells

Calmodulin levels were measured by radioimmuno-assay in freshly isolated and cultured psoriatic human scalp hair follicle cells. The mean value ± SEM for calmodulin was 1.97±0.15 ng calmodulin g^-1 protein for 16 control subjects whereas calmodulin levels were significantly increased in psoriatic hair follicles, 2.93±0.26 ng calmodulin g^-1 protein (uninvolved skin) for 18 patients and 3.09±0.21 ng calmodulin g^-1 protein for involved skin derived hair follicles for 17 of these patients. In vitro, 3-week-old cultures of psoriatic keratinocytes contained less DNA and more calmodulin per DNA than their normal counterparts. When 6 week-old cultures of psoriatic and control hair follicle keratinocytes were compared, this difference disappeared. These results are related to the state of differentiation of these cultures.