Immunohistochemical Study of Cytokeratin Polypeptides in Eccrine Gland Tumors

Kang, In Kyung; Kim, Oong; Choi, Kyu Chul

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Different distributions of cytokeratins (CKs) have been found in various layers of the epidermis and in the structure of cutaneous appendages. Benign tumors of the epidermis or cutaneous appendages usually retain the characteristic distribution of CKs of their origin.
OBJECTIVE
AND METHOD: To elucidate the nature and differentiation of various eccrine gland tumors, we performed immunohistochemical staining using a panel of monoclonal antibodies against CKs in a normal eccrire gland, syringoma, eccrine hidrocystoma, eccrine poroma and clear cell hidradenoma. The tissue distribution of various keratins in the normal eccrine gland was compared with that in varioas eccrine gland tumors.
RESULTS
With regard to CKs expression, the results indicated that syringoma represents a tumor differentiating toward both the uppermost part of the dermal duct and the lower intraepidermal duct, and eccrine hidrocystoma represents a tumor differentiating toward the luminal cell of the dermal duct of the eccrine gland. Eccrine poroma cells seemed to be most closed related to the uppermost dermal duct of eccrine gland. We also found that analyse distribution of CKs was insufficient to elucidate the histogenesis of clear cell hidradenoma.
CONCLUSION
Analysing CKs is helpful in the analysis of epidermal neoplasms with differentiation toward the eccrine gland.