Sex determination from barr-bodies in hair root sheath cells

A study of Barr body in hair root sheath cells was carried out during 2000–2003 in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal. Hair samples were collected from different individuals of both sexes. Aceto-orcein stain was used in the study. Barr body could be detected in hair root sheath cells of all the females but not in that of males. When the female's hair were examined on the same day of their collection, the Barr body could be seen in 28% to 40% of cells. When the hair samples were collected from the female dead bodies within 24 hours of death examined on the same day, Barr body could be detected in 18% to 32% of the cells. The percentage of cells where Barr bodies could be seen were found to be in decreasing proportion with the increase in time interval between collection and examination. Hair from a living female could be useful for determination of sex by studying Barr body atleast upto three months after its collection and hair from a female dead body at least upto one week after its collection. Factors for false negative and false positive results were also observed which could be prevented by a little care during processing and examination.