ISSN:
1600-0560
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
The cytokeratin expression of seborrheic keratosis was studied by means of immunohistochemistry and compared with that of normal human skin. The following findings were obtained in seborrheic keratosis: (1) a partial lack of high molecular weight cytokeratin (#1/68 kD, # 10/56.6 kD) in all ten cases examined; (2) the detection of cytokeratin typical for simple epithelia (#8/52.5 kD, # 18/45 kD, # 19/40 kD) in eight often cases; and (3) the detection of cytokeratin #5/58 kD in supra-basal cells in 5 of 10 cases. An immunoelectron-microscopic investigation, using an anti-keratin antibody against cytokeratin #19/40 kD, revealed a whirl-like arrangement of keratin filaments within immunoreactive cells, in contrast to a linear, parallel arrangement in non-immunoreactive cells. Cells known to express cytokeratin typical for simple epithelia, such as sweat gland cells or Merkel cells, were not observed. The altered cytokeratin gene-expression in seborrheic keratosis may be attributable to de-differentiation of tumor cells or potential re-differentiation towards embryonic keratinocytes.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0560.1992.tb00614.x
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