Value of CK14 and CD56 immunostaining in distinguishing small cell carcinoma from squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.

Primary small cell carcinoma of esophagus (SCC) is a rare disease but has more aggressive behavior than esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SQC). The distinction of SCC from SQC is very important therapeutically. Few systematic studies of immunohistochemical analysis to differentiate primary esophageal SCC with concomitant SQC, and adjacent normal esophageal epithelium have been reported. The objective of this study is to know the immunohistochemical markers in distinguishing SCC from SQC of esophagus. We studied 6 cases of primary esophageal SCC histologically and immunohistochemically using 15 different antibodies including a cytokeratin (CK) panel and neuroendocrine markers. Pure SCCs were identified in 2 of the 6 cases (33.3%), and the remaining 4 cases (66.7%) were found to exhibit combined SCC with an SQC component. Among the combined types, in situ SQC was observed in all 4 cases (100.0%) and invasive SQC was observed in 3 cases (75.0%). Among the normal esophageal epithelia specimens (n=7), CK14 expression was seen 6 out of 7 (85.7%) specimens and CKAE1/3 in 5 out of 7 (71.4%) specimens. CD56 was more frequently expressed among the SCC specimens (4/6; 66.7%) than among the SQC specimens (0/4; 0%; p = 0.07). The expression of p53 protein in SCC (4/6; 66.7%) and SQC (3/4; 75.0%) specimens was significantly more frequent than in normal esophageal epithelium (0/7; 0%; p = 0.02 each). Neurone-specific enolase (NSE), synaptophysin, and CKAE1/3 were expressed in 83.3%, 66.7%, and 66.7% of the SCC cases (n=6), respectively. NSE expression was significantly more frequent in SCC specimens (5/6; 83.3%) (p = 0.02) than in normal esophageal epithelium (0/7; 0%; p = 0.02). However, the frequencies of NSE expression in SCC (5/6; 83.3%) and SQC (2/4; 50%) were not significantly different. All of the SQC specimens (n=4) expressed CK14 and CKAE1/3. The CK14 expression was significantly more frequent in SQC specimens (4/4; 100.0%) than in (p = 0.04) SCC specimens (1/6; 16.6%; p = 0.04). These findings suggest that the CK14 and CD56 may be useful markers for differentiating SQC from SCC and vice versa. The p53 may also be useful to differentiate normal esophageal epithelium from SCC or SQC tissue.

Cytokeratin Autoantibodies: Useful Serologic Markers for Toluene Diisocyanate-Induced Asthma

To evaluate the clinical significance of autoantibodies to three major epithelial cytokeratins (CK) -- CK8, CK18, and CK19 -- we compared 66 patients with toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-induced asthma (group I) with three control groups: 169 asymptomatic exposed subjects (group II), 64 patients with allergic asthma (group III), and 123 unexposed healthy subjects (group IV). Serum IgG, specific for human recombinant CKs, were measured by ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), and ELISA inhibition tests were performed. The existence of these antibodies was confirmed by IgG immunoblot analysis. Anti-TDI-HSA (human serum albumin) IgE and IgG antibodies were measured by ELISA in the same set of the patients. The prevalence of CK8, CK18, and CK19 auotantibodies in group I was significantly higher than in the other three groups. Results of the ELISA inhibition test showed significant inhibition with the addition of three CKs in a dose-dependent manner. No significant association was found between CK autoantibodies and the prevalence of anti- TDI-HSA IgG and IgE antibodies. These results suggest that autoantibodies to CK18 and CK19 can be used as serologic markers for identifying patients with TDI-induced asthma among exposed workers.

Harlequin baby--a rare case of keratinization disorder.

Harlequin icthyosis is a very rare inborn error of epidermal keratinization with autosomal recessive inheritance. Abnormal lipid metabolism in mitochondria with defective lamellar body formation is the main defect leading to hyperkeratosis. Prenatal diagnosis can be done by invasive procedures such as fetal skin biopsy and also by ultrasonography.

Anti-keratin antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

As the proportion of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have anti-keratin antibodies (AKA) varies in different ethnic groups, we studied its occurrence in a hospital populations with RA and its association with different disease variables. Sera from 84 consecutive patients with RA, 100 healthy controls and 85 disease controls (polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis) were tested for AKA by an indirect immunofluorescence assay that used rat esophagus as substrate. The proportion of patients with RA who had AKA (47/84) was higher than in healthy controls (2/100; P < 0.001) and in disease controls (2/85; P < 0.001). The frequency of AKA positivity was higher among patients who had severe disease (P < 0.05) and rheumatoid factor. Anti-keratin antibody is present in 56 per cent of our patients with RA and is associated with severe disease.

Keratinas: biología celular y significado funcional normal y patológico / Keratins: cell biology and it normal and pathological functional significance

Las Keratinas (Ks), son filamentos intermedios que forman parte del citoesqueleto de las células epiteliales. Pueden expresarse en los epitelios simples (Ks. 7, 8, 19 y 20) y en epitelios estratificados (Ks. 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 16). La diferente expresión de estas proteínas multigénicas del citoesqueleto está ligada a programas de diferenciación celular específicos (OSBORN & WEBER, 1983; NAGLE, 1988); por ello, el estuio de las Ks. tiene singular importancia en el conocimiento de nuevos aspectos de la Histología e Histopatología, como también de la Biología del Desarrollo. Además, la evaluación de las Ks. mediante técnicas de inmunofluorescencia o inmunohistoquímicas es útil en la correcta identificación y caracterización de las células normales, displásicas y neoplásicas (OSBORN & WEBER, NAGLE). Los distintos patrones de expresión de las Ks. se correlacionan con el grado de diferenciación de células epiteliales inmaduras, y, pór ello, con el grado de diferenciación de los tumores malignos. (FUCHS & GREEN, 1980; FRANKE et al. 1981b; MOLL et. al. 1892a; SCHAAFSMA & RAMAEKERS, 1994). Por último, la valoración de los cambios de inmunoexpresión de Ks. es útil para el diagnóstico diferencial entre metaplasias escamosas típicas y atípicas, incluyendo las displasias epiteliales moderadas y severas y las neoplasias intraepiteliales anteriormente denominadas carcinomas in situ (MOLL et. al., 1982a; TSENG et. al., 1982; QUINLAN et. al., 1985; HUSZAR et. al., 1986; GIGI-LEITNER et. al., 1986; HEID et. al., 1988)

Retinoblastoma--a histologic and immunohistologic study.

Histopathology and various immunohistochemical markers were studied in 40 cases of human retinoblastoma. In histopathology, tumour type, extent and invasion were studied. In immunohistochemistry, both glial and neural markers were used to know the histogenesis of this tumour. The glial markers, glial fibrillary acidic protein and vimentin, were detected in retinal astrocytes and Muller's cells in normal retina and perivascular glia in retinoblastoma. The neural marker, neurone-specific enolase stained neurones in outer and inner nuclear layers in normal retina, Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettes in retinoblastoma and tumour cells is differentiated retinoblastoma. Another neural marker, neurofilament triplet polypeptide stained neurones in inner nuclear layer of normal retina and Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettes in well-differentiated retinoblastoma. These results support the view that retinoblastoma has predominantly neuronal origin.

Caracterizaçäo imuno-histoquimica de ceratinócitos humanos epidérmicos e foliculares in vivo e in vitro / Immuno histochemistry characterization of human epidermics and follicular Keratnocytes in vivo and in culture

FUNDAMENTO - As citoqueratinas säo excelentes marcadores da diferenciaçäo das células epiteliais. OBJETIVO. Caracterizar a expressäo de citoqueratinas e filagrina em ceratinócitos in vivo e em cultura. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS - Ceratinócitos epidérmicos e foliculares (da bainha radicular externa), cultivados sob as mesmas condiçöes, e criocortes de couro cabeludo normal foram corados mediante a técnica APAAP, com 13 anticorpos monoclonais anticitoqueratinas e um antifilagrina. RESULTADOS In vivo, os ceratinócitos epidérmicos expressam as citoqueratinas 1,2,5,10 e 14, e os ceratinócitos foliculares, as citoqueratinas 5,6,14,16,17 e 19. Por outro lado, in vitro, ambas as subpopulaçöes de ceratinócitos demonstraram as mesmas citoqueratinas 2,5,6,14,16,17,19, embora a expressäo de 2 tenha sido mais intensa nos ceratinócitos epidérmicos. Em cultura, ambos expressam citoqueratinas que näo estavam presentes in vivo. O anticorpo monoclonal antifilagrina demarcou ambas as subpopulaçöes in vitro, e, in vivo, estava presente somente nos ceratinócitos epidérmicos. CONCLUSäO - Ceratinócitos de diferentes origens, da epiderme e do folículo piloso, adotam, em cultura, estágio intermediário de diferenciaçäo

A importancia da fixacao em imuno-histoquimica: a distribuicao de vimentina e citoqueratinas em amostras fixadas em alcool e formol / The importance of fixation in immunohistochemistry: vimentin and cytokeratin distribution in ethanol and formaldehyde sample

O efeito da fixacao em alcool absoluto ou formol e da digestao proteolitica por tripsina na pesquisa imuno-histoquimica dos filamentos intermediarios citoqueratinas e vimentina foi estudado em cortes continguos de um caso de carcinossarcoma (cistadenofibrocarcinoma) de ovario. Reatividades superiores foram obtidas, para ambos os marcadores, quando da fixacao em alcool, mesmo em amostras estocadas ate 60 dias. A pesquisa de citoqueratinas em material fixado em formol foi beneficiada pela digestao proteolitica. Inversamente, tal procedimento mostrou-se deleterio na coloracao para vimentina. A apresentacao destes dados visa alertar os cirurgioes e oncologistas para a importancia da fixacao na preservacao de epitopos em casos de neoplasias cujo estudo possa requerer analises imuno-histoquimicas.

Citoqueratinas y filagrina en psoriasis del cuero cabelludo: estudio inmunohistoquímico del folículo píloso en anágeno / Cytokeratins and philagrins in scalp psoriasis: inmunohistochemical study in the anagen hair follicles

Moderada a severa caída del cabello en psoriasis del cuero cabelludo se ha reportado. Sin embargo, la etiología de la alopecia en esta enfermedad aún no se conoce. El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue investigar, mediante inmunohistoquímica (técnica de APAAP), si el folículo piloso anágeno de cuero cabelludo afectado de psoriasis presenta cambios en la distribución de citoqueratinas y filagrina comparado con el folículo piloso de sujetos normales. La porción infraseboglandular del folículo piloso anágeno psoriático no presenta diferencias en la expresión de citoqueratina y filagrina en relación a los controles. En la porción supraseboglandular, el acrofundíbulo psoríatico muestra marcadas diferencias, similares a aquellas de la epidermis interfolicular. Los anticuerpos monoclonales anticitoqueratinas CK 8.12 Y PKK 2 marcan las capas suprabasales en la epidermis interfolicular como también en el acroinfundículo, mientras que normalmente se expresan sólo en la capa basal. Los anticuerpos monoclonales KL-1 U y CK 8.60 que marcan la capa basal y las citoqueratinas 1 y 2 (RPN 1161) no presentaron cambios en su patrón normal de marcaje de las capas suprabasales. Filagrina se mostró parcial totalmente ausente en las áreas paraqueratósicas de la epidermis interfoliar como también en la porción distal del acroinfundículo psoriático, mientras que la porción proximal se mostró prácticamente normal. De nuestros resultados concluimos que: 1) la porción no-permanente del folículo piloso anágeno psoriático no presenta cambios en la expresión de citoqueratinas y filagrina en comparación con los controles; 2) la caída del cabello en psoriasis debe atribuirse, por ejemplo, a efectos traumáticos de procedimientos terapéuticos y/o por la inflamación crónica que afecta a la porción permanente del folículo piloso