Sex determination from plucked human hairs without epithelial root sheath III. Fluorescent Feulgen reaction using acriflavine

Abstract

In order to determine sex from plucked human hair roots devoid of epithelial root sheath, the frequency of the X-chromatin was examined in hair cortex nuclei of plucked hairs stained by the fluorescent Feulgen reaction using acriflavine. There was a distinct difference between male and female hairs, the frequency ranging from 27% to 70% (average 45.8%) in female samples and from 0% to 8% (average 2.9%) in male samples. The difference in the frequency between male and female was detected in samples kept in a dried condition for 32 weeks.