Cytokeratin Expression in Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The histologic distinction between basal cell carcinoma(BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma(SCC) is sometimes difficult, but clinically important, because SCC has worse prognosis than BCC. Cytokeratins(CKs) are the major component of intermediate filaments and are subdivided into at least 20 different polypeptides. Monoclonal antibodies developed against these individual keratins become very useful in the classification of the major types of epithelial tumors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to investigate the usefulness of CK staining in distinguishing BCC from SCC. METHODS: We studied 10 cases of BCC and 10 cases of SCC with 6 anticytokeratin antibodies including AE1, CAM5.2, CK7, CK16, CK10, and CK8. RESULTS: All cases of BCC and SCC stained with AE1. Six and 5 cases out of 10 cases of BCC stained with CAM5,2 and CK7, respectively, but all cases of SCC stained with neither CAM5.2 nor CK7. All cases of SCC stained with CK16, but all cases of BCC did not. Two out of 10 cases of SCC stained focally with CK10, while all cases of BCC did not stain with CK10. All cases of BCC and SCC did not stain with CK8. CONCLUSION: We conclude that a panel of antibodies for CKs including CK7, CAM5.2, and CK16 may be useful in distinguishing BCC from SCC. In particular, CK16 may be the most useful marker because it was positive for all cases of SCC while negative for all cases of BCC.