Intermediate filament protein profiles of human testicular non-seminomatous germ cell tumors: correlation of cytokeratin synthesis to cell differentiation

Abstract The patterns of cytoskeletal differentiation were studied in 20 testicular non-seminomatous germ cell tumors by immunohistochemistry, using diverse monoclonal antibodies specific for different intermediate filament (IF) proteins and for desmoplakin. Immuno-fluorescence and immunoperoxidase methods on both formalin-fixed and frozen tissues were applied, in some cases together with a gel electrophoretic analysis of IF proteins. The tumors examined included embryonal carcinoma (EC), endodermal sinus tumor (EST), choriocar-cinoma and teratoma. Nine of the tumors were composed of only one histological type, the others showed mixed components. Cytokeratins 8 and 18 were identified in all…