The measurement of hair growth as an index of protein synthesis in malnutrition

Abstract

I . The purpose of this paper is to propose the measurement of scalp hair diameter as a useful index of protein synthesis in the management of cases of malnutrition.2. Observations on scalp hair from ten control infants showed that each hair tapered very gradually towards its free end.3. Observations on scalp hair from twenty-six infants with kwashiorkor showed that each hair narrowed towards the follicle; the effect was statistically significant. 4. After I month's treatment for kwashiorkor, scalp hair thickened towards the follicle and the effect was statistically significant.5 . Serial measurements of the greatest diameter at 0.5 mm intervals along the hair shaft had a main trend which was related to nutritional history.6 . The period of time over which narrowing of the hair shaft took place was calculated from the rate of hair growth and the serial diameter measurements: this time was always longer than the history of kwashiorkor.

Neonatal Hair as a Record of Intra-Uterine Nutrition

“…Hair growth is controlled, at least in part, by the body's overall nutritional state. Thus, in children with kwashiorkor, episodes of acute starvation are re corded as narrow segments of hair [14].In addition to changes in the diameter of the hair shaft, alterations in diet may result in variations in the amino acid make-up of the keratin complex. In sheep, a low cystine diet results in slow-growing, brittle wool which is low in cystine [12], while a high cystine diet results in an improved wool growth of high cystine content [6], In certain human inborn errors of metabolism, abnormalities in the amino acid make-up of hair keratin have been demonstrated [13]; for example, van Sande [13] has studied the fine…”

Scanning electron microscopy of hair.

“…It is known that the density of productive hair follicles decreases during embryonic life as the body surface increases (Szabo, 1958). A significant loss of hair follicles occurs with advancing age; there are undoubtably fewer follicles in baldness (Barman, Astore & Pecararo, 1969;Giacometti, 1965)-^^ is difficult to see, however, how hair density could affect the size of cuticular scales in any direct manner except possibly by nutritional means in somebody who has protein depletion (Sims, 1968). Head hair is normally longer than hair from other parts of the body.…”

“…Total anagen time may be up to 3 years for human scalp hair but there is little accurate information on comparisons with hairs taken from other parts of the body except the general observation that the total anagen time there is probably much less. The effects of nutrition on the hair have been the subject of several papers by Sims (1968). Our study used well-nourished British volunteers.…”

X-Ray Emission Microanalysis of the Density of Hair Proteins in Kwashiorkor

“…above the hair bulb when it was in its natural state, in each of the solvents and in air after drying. These measurements were made with a Watson Image Shearing Eyepiece at a magnification of 200 times as described in an earlier paper (Sims 1967c). The hair from a kwashiorkor patient was then embedded in ice parallel to a hair from his matched control so that transverse sections of them both could be cut simultaneously on a cryostat.…”