Psoriatic hair follicle cells. IV. Calmodulin levels in freshly isolated and cultured human scalp 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 micrograms-1 protein for 16 control subjects whereas calmodulin levels were significantly increased in psoriatic hair follicles, 2.93 +/- 0.26 ng calmodulin micrograms-1 protein (uninvolved skin) for 18 patients and 3.09 +/- 0.21 ng calmodulin micrograms-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.