Primary cutaneous apocrine carcinoma arising within a congenital nevus: Keratins and filaggrin expression suggesting differentiation into the secretory cells of apocrine glands

Abstract

Primary cutaneous apocrine carcinoma (PCAC) is a rare neoplasm of skin appendages. To determine the differentiation of apocrine carcinoma, we studied the expression of epithelial keratins and filaggrin immunohistochemically using 10 anti-keratin antibodies againt keratin (K) 1, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and the anti-filaggrin antibody. PCAC demonstrated strong positivity for K7, K8, K18 and K19. These keratins are distributed in secretory cells of normal apocrine glands. The tumor cells were negative for K14 and K17. The two keratins exist in myoepithelial cells in normal apocrine glands. Results suggest that PCAC shows differentiation into secretory cells of apocrine glands, although it does not differentiate into myoepithelial cells. K14 is also known as undifferentiated keratin, whereas K17 is considered to be a hyperproliferative keratin. Absence of the expression of K14 and K17 may reflect an indolent clinical course of PCAC.