Patterns of cytokeratin and vimentin expression in the human eye

We studied the expression of the various cytokeratin (CK) polypeptides and vimentin in tissues of the human eye by applying immunocytochemical procedures using a panel of monoclonal antibodies as well as by performing biochemical analyses of microdissected tissues. Adult corneal epithelium was found to contain significant amounts of the cornea-specific CKs nos. 3 and 12 as well as CK no. 5, and several additional minor CK components. Among these last CKs, no. 19 was found to exhibit an irregular mosaic-like staining pattern in the peripheral zone of the corneal epithelium, while having a predominantly basal distribution in the limbal epithelium. Both the fetal corneal epithelium and the con…

Comparative cytokeratin analysis of sweat gland ducts and eccrine poromas.

Human eccrine sweat gland ducts and benign and malignant eccrine poromas were studied for the expression of various cytokeratins (CK) and vimentin by applying immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence microscopy to frozen or paraffin-embedded sections, and using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. In acrosyringia and dermal eccrine ducts, the luminal cells exhibited intense staining for CKs 1/10/11 and 19. The periluminal cell layers of acrosyringia contained CKs 1/10/11, while CK 5 was absent. In contrast, the basal cell layer of dermal ducts was only positive with the antibody against CK 5, i. e. a pattern resembling that seen in epidermal basal cells. CK 9 was detected …

Cytochemical Cell Typing of Metastatic Tumors According to their Cytoskeletal Proteins

Conventional staining methods alone are often insufficient to make accurate histodiagnosis of malignant tumors. However, additional information about the cell type and the state of differentiation of tumor cells can be provided by several molecular markers. To be relevant diagnostically, these markers must be conservative, i.e. expressed not only in well differentiated tumors but also in poorly differentiated tumors and in metastases. These criteria are fulfilled by certain components of the cytoskeleton, notably the proteins forming the intermediate-sized filaments (IFs) and the desmosomal plaque proteins.

Cytomorphological typing of renal cell carcinoma--a new approach.

Merkel cells in ontogenesis of human nails

Digital skin of human fetuses is known to contain a particularly high concentration of Merkel cells. Using antibodies against the simple epithelial cytokeratins (CK) 18 and 20, which are sensitive and specific Merkel cell markers, we studied immunohistochemically the main adnexal structure of digital skin, the nail anlage, in human fetuses (9-22 weeks of gestation) for the presence of Merkel cells. As early as week 9 some clustered Merkel cells were detected in the early matrix primordium. In specimens of week 12-15, abundant Merkel cells were found in the nail anlagen, particularly in the epithelium of the proximal nail-fold and the dorsal and ventral side of the apex region. In contrast, …

An immunohistochemical and biochemical study of cytokeratin polypeptides in a non-Paget type adenocarcinoma of the vulva

SummaryThe intermediate filament composition was studied in a malignant neoplasm of the vulva in a 42 year old patient. The absence of vimentin excluded the diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Anaplastic squamous cell carcinoma could be excluded by the presence of glandular type cytokeratins numbers 7, 8, 18, 19 in the neoplastic cells. Intermediate filament typing did not support a diagnosis of epithelioid sarcoma. Since the typical epidermal involvement by tumour cells was lacking, Paget's disease was excluded. Metastatic adenocarcinoma was excluded by the lack of relevant clinical findings. It was concluded that the lesion represented an adenocarcinoma of the vulva of the non-Paget type mos…

Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor in the Gastric Wall of an Aged Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)

A 34-year-old female orangutan ( Pongo pygmaeus) developed renal failure and became uremic. At necropsy, large gastric masses were present around the cardia and in the corpus. Abdominal metastases occurred in the liver, pancreas, and right ovary. Light microscopic examination of the tumor revealed polygonal cells with vesicular nuclei and prominent nucleoli. The growth pattern was predominantly solid. Focal areas contained excentric cytoplasmic intermediate filament inclusions, as identified by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Immunohisiochemical procedures demonstrated mainly the vimentin type of intermediate filaments. Except for occasional cytokeratin, other intermediate fil…

Immuno-fluorescence cytochemistry on thin frozen sections of human substantia nigra for staining of monoamine oxidase A and monoamine oxidase B: a pilot study

Immunofluorescence cytochemistry on thin frozen sections of human substantia nigra for staining of MAO-A and MAO-B revealed that only about 10% of the melanin-containing neurons are positive for MAO-A, while they are substantially free of MAO-B.

E-Cadherin, ein neuer, unabhängiger Prognoseparameter beim Magenkarzinom

Das transmembranose Glykoprotein E-Cadherin ist in normalen Epithelien und in Tumorzellen fur die Zell-Zell-Haftung verantwortlich. In Magenkarzinomen wird E-Cadherin, dessen Gen auch als Metastasierungs- oder Invasionssuppressorgen bezeichnet wird, je nach Differenzierungsgrad unterschiedlich exprimiert. Bei einer Reihe von malignen Tumoren wie dem Mamma-, Kolon- oder Nierenkarzinom konnte eine reduzierte E-Cadherin-Expression mit einer schlechteren Prognose korreliert werden. Zum Magenkarzinom liegen derzeit nur zwei Studien an nur geringen Fallzahlen vor, die auf einen negativen prognostischen Einflus der reduzierten E-Cadherin-Expression hinweisen [4, 5].