Heffalumps, jagulars, and cheshire cats. A commentary on cytokeratins and soft tissue sarcomas.
Historically, antibodies to cytokeratin intermediate filaments have been models of target specificity. In most diagnostic settings, the utility of these antibodies was unquestioned; reactivity for cytokeratin was dogmatically equated with epithelial differentiation. Recently, however, the diagnostic importance of these antibodies has been challenged, prompted by the demonstration of cytokeratin reactivity in a variety of "nonepithelial" neoplasms. In this review, the evolving literature on this topic is explored, and the practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Swanson
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PE
Lauren V. Ackerman Laboratory of Surgical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000473:pathology*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
D007633:Keratins