Intermediate-sized filament (IF) protein designated cytokeratin 20 (CK20) is a major cellular protein of mature enterocytes and goblet cells commonly found in mucosal epithelium of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. Results strongly suggest that transcriptional regulation of keratin genes in the intestinal epithelium occurs at the level of both immature and terminally differentiated epithelial cells, and is tightly regulated during both fetal development and crypt-tovillus differentiation of the intestinal epithelium. CK20 antibody has recently been reported to be useful to distinguish between primary and metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. CK20 expression was significantly more prevalent in adenocarcinoma that originated in the GI tract than that of pulmonary or breast.
Intermediate-sized filament (IF) protein designated cytokeratin 20 (CK20) is a major cellular protein of mature enterocytes and goblet cells commonly found in mucosal epithelium of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. Results strongly suggest that transcriptional regulation of keratin genes in the intestinal epithelium occurs at the level of both immature and terminally differentiated epithelial cells, and is tightly regulated during both fetal development and crypt-tovillus differentiation of the intestinal epithelium. CK20 antibody has recently been reported to be useful to distinguish between primary and metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. CK20 expression was significantly more prevalent in adenocarcinoma that originated in the GI tract than that of pulmonary or breast.