Immunohistochemical study on keratin expression in certain cutaneous epithelial neoplasms. Basal cell carcinoma, pilomatricoma, and seborrheic keratosis.

Abstract

We investigated immunohistochemically 20 basal cell carcinomas (BCC), five pilomatricomas, and nine seborrheic keratoses using anti-BCC keratin monoclonal antibody (BKN-1) and anti-hair keratin monoclonal antibodies (HKN-2, HKN-4- -7). The neoplastic cells in all the cases of BCC were always uniformly stained by BKN-1, HKN-2, and HKN-4, indicating that the BCC cells display a constant antigenicity of keratin, which may be different from that of the normal epidermis. Although no fluorescence by HKN-6 or HKN-7 was seen in any cases of BCC, HKN-5 partially but strongly stained the neoplastic nests in most cases of BCC; BCC may have differentiation toward the lower part of hair follicular epithelium. In pilomatricoma, all the anti-keratin monoclonal antibodies showed a similar staining pattern; the differentiating neoplastic cells undergoing transition from basaloid to eosinophilic were positively stained by each antibody in all the cases. This finding of pilomatricoma corresponds to that of the differentiating cells in the inner hair layers, especially in the hair cortex. In seborrheic keratoses, no fluorescence was recognized with HKN-5- -7, which stain the lower follicular cells in the normal human skin. The staining patterns of seborrheic keratosis by BKN-1, HKN-2, and HKN-4 were similar to those of the normal interfollicular epidermis. These anti-keratin monoclonal antibodies seem to be useful for the investigation of the direction of differentiation of skin adnexal neoplasms.

• Authors: N Shimizu, M Ito, T Tazawa, Y Sato
• Journal: The American Journal of dermatopathology (Am J Dermatopathol) Vol. 11 Issue 6 Pg. 534-40 (Dec 1989) ISSN: 0193-1091 [Print] United States
• PMID: 2481408 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal
• Keratins

Topics

• Antibodies, Monoclonal
• Carcinoma, Basal Cell (metabolism, pathology)
• Dermatitis, Seborrheic (complications, metabolism, pathology)
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Keratins (metabolism)
• Keratosis (complications, metabolism, pathology)
• Skin Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)