Abstract
The aim of this paper is to establish by immunohistochemistry the expression of keratin 7 in inflammatory-regenerative flat bowel mucosa and in different grades of epithelial dysplasia regarding the sub-units expressed in normal and carcinomatous colonic mucosa. Biopsy specimens from 270 patients were examined: 74 were classified as inflammatory-regenerative changes and 196 as dysplastic lesions. There were 108 cases of mild dysplasia, 58 cases of moderate and 30 cases of severe dysplasia, respectively). Demonstration of location and intensity of cytokeratin 7 staining was performed by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibody (anti-cytokeratin 7). Findings of cytokeratin 7 in dysplastic lesions were compared with those in normal mucosa, inflammatory -regenerative mucosa and adenocarcinoma. Cytokeratin 7 is not found in normal colonic mucosa. In inflammatory-regenerative mucosa it was found in solitary cells in small number of cases. It is found in all cases of epithelial dysplasia and its expression showed no difference regarding moderate and severe dysplasia. In few cases of adenocarcinoma, cytokeratin 7 is found in traces and showed minimal staining intensity. Having in mind that cytokeratine 7 is primarily found in dysplastic lesions of the flat colonic mucosa it can be a valuable diagnostic tool in the histological interpretation of epithelial dysplasia.
Highlights
Cytokeratins are complex proteins of intermediate filaments that provide epithelial cells with mechanic cohesion and resistance to trauma
It is notified that cytokeratin 7 (CK 7) is not present in epithelium of normal colonic mucosa what is in compliance with the findings of other authors [11, 12, 13, 14]
In adenocarcinoma tissue CK 7 was found in only three cases and was detected in small number of cells with minimal staining intensity, what is in compliance with the findings of other authors [13,15]
Summary
Cytokeratins are complex proteins of intermediate filaments that provide epithelial cells with mechanic cohesion and resistance to trauma. According to Moll catalogue [1] they are listed from 1 to 20, regarding their molecular weight and iso-electric point of proteins. They are divided into two subgroups: tip I (acid) i tip II (base). Our aim was to map cytokeratin 7 (intermediate filamentous protein weight of 54 kDa, marked as cytokeratin 7 in Moll classification) immunophenotype in inflammatoryregenerative flat bowel mucosa as well as in different grades of dysplasia and it is compared with normal colonic mucosa and colon adenocarcinoma tissue. If there is an altered expression of keratin 7 in dysplastic colonic cells, we wanted to determine the point at which this alteration occurs, and evaluate the possible value of immunohistochemistry as a diagnostic tool in colonic epithelial dysplasia
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
