Keratins are cytoplasmic intermediate filament proteins expressed by epithelial cells. Cytokeratin 5(CK5) is a type II cytokeratin. CK5 labels myoepithelial cells of breast and prostate basal cells. CK5 and calretinin have been useful in different studies as immunohistochemical markers suggestive of mesothelioma, and their expression is analyzed for the histological differentiation with adeno carcinomas especially when confronting metastatic tumors of unknown origin. The human type II Cytokeratin 6(CK6;56 kDa) is expressed on stratified epithelia including oral mucosa, esophagus basal layer of epidermis, the outer root sheath of hair follicles, and in glandular epithelia. Anti-CK6 paired with the CK5 antibody is useful for differentiating mesothelioma (positive) from lung carcinoma (negative) in the pleura.
Keratins are cytoplasmic intermediate filament proteins expressed by epithelial cells. Cytokeratin 5(CK5) is a type II cytokeratin. CK5 labels myoepithelial cells of breast and prostate basal cells. CK5 and calretinin have been useful in different studies as immunohistochemical markers suggestive of mesothelioma, and their expression is analyzed for the histological differentiation with adeno carcinomas especially when confronting metastatic tumors of unknown origin. The human type II Cytokeratin 6(CK6;56 kDa) is expressed on stratified epithelia including oral mucosa, esophagus basal layer of epidermis, the outer root sheath of hair follicles, and in glandular epithelia. Anti-CK6 paired with the CK5 antibody is useful for differentiating mesothelioma (positive) from lung carcinoma (negative) in the pleura.