Cytokeratins are sets of polypeptides that form cytoskeleton of
epithelial cells including keratinocytes. In the epidermis cytokeratin can be
identified by immunohistochemical method using polyclonal and
monoclonal keratin antibodies.
This work was designed to study cytokeratin expression in normal
skin and in some benign skin lesions such as, psoriasis (10 cases),warts
(verrucae, 10 cases) and Darier's disease (6 cases).
Keratin 14 (MW = 50kd), keratin 10 (MW = 56.5kd) and keratin 16
(MW = 48kd) were detected in tissue sections using the corresponding
monoclonal antibodies by peroxidase antiperoxidase technique.
In normal skin kertain 14 was seen in the basal cells, keratin 10 was
found in suprabasal cells and keratin 16 not expressed.
In psoriatic skin, there was a suprabasal staining pattern of keratin 14
(basal and suprabasal), a reduction of intensity and irregular staining
pattern of suprabasal keratin 10 and keratin 16 was detected in suprabasal
cells. In verrucae, there was a basal and suprabasal staining pattern of
keratin 14 but with normal suprabasal staining pattern of keratin 10.
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Keratin 16 was also detected in suprabasal cells in warts. In Darier's
disease, keratin 14 was detected in a single basal layer of the epidermis, in
a single basal layer lining the papillary downgrowths and in some
suprabasal acantholytic cells, while keratin 10 was detected in suprabasal
cells but with some unstained acantholytic cells, and keratin 16 showed
faint suprabasal staining. So. expression of cytokeratin is essential in the
diagnosis and differential diagnosis of skin disease and also it helps to
throw light on the histogenesis of skin lesions. |
