Clinical evidence suggests that skin is responsive to GH status in vivo. We sought to demonstrate the presence of GH receptors in human skin and in cultured skin fibroblasts using the techniques of immunohistochemistry and northern blotting. Human foreskin was obtained at surgery for preparation of sections and primary fibroblast cultures. Skin sections and fibroblast monolayers were immunostained using a monoclonal antibody which recognizes the hGH receptor (MAb 263). Positive immunoperoxidase staining was seen in all epidermal layers except the stratum corneum, in dermal sweat and sebaceous glands, and in dermal fibroblasts. In cultured fibroblasts capping of surface GH receptor was observed after aqueous formaldehyde fixation, whereas fixation in Carnoy's solution resulted in granular cytoplasmic staining. Fibroblast poly A+ RNA was prepared from cultured skin fibroblasts, separated by denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis, blotted onto nitrocellulose, and hybridized to a 32P-labeled, 847 base pair (bp) hGH receptor complementary DNA (cDNA) clone. Human liver and non-pregnant rabbit liver total RNA were used as controls. Fibroblast poly A+ RNA contained a single hybridizing species of approximately 5.2 kilobase. Human liver total RNA also contained a single hybridizing species of 4.9 kilobase. We have demonstrated the presence of GH receptor protein in human skin and growth hormone receptor mRNA and protein in cultured human skin fibroblasts. These observations suggest that GH may indeed have a direct role in modulating keratinocyte and fibroblast function.