Intermediate filaments in rat pancreatic acinar tumors, human ductal carcinomas, and other gastrointestinal malignancies.
OBJECTIVE
Keratin is a member of the intermediate filament family in epithelial cells. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of different epithelial cells has shown 20 different keratin polypeptides. Therefore, mapping of the keratin polypeptides can be used to define a specific tissue.


METHODS
Cytokeratin expression was investigated by using monoclonal antibodies in human surgical specimens and autopsy material of pancreatic, gastric, liver, and colon carcinomas and cholangiocarcinomas, and their metastasis to lymph nodes and liver was examined. In addition, rat acinar cell carcinomas were used to compare cytokeratin expression in ductal vs. acinar cell pancreatic carcinomas.


RESULTS
Human pancreatic ductal carcinomas expressed keratins 7, 8, 18, and 19, whereas the majority of rat acinar carcinomas did not express keratins typical for ducts in rat pancreas. The keratin patterns of gastric and colon carcinomas were identical with keratins 8, 18, and 19. In contrast, hepatocellular carcinomas expressed the same keratin pattern as pancreatic acinar carcinomas with keratins 8 and 18, whereas cholangiocarcinomas expressed keratin 7, 8, 18, and 19, similar to pancreatic ductal carcinomas. Metastasis of pancreatic ductal and colon carcinomas retained their keratin patterns.


CONCLUSIONS
Keratin polypeptide typing of unknown malignant cells can be a useful tool for cell identification.
Herzig
K H
KH
First Department of Internal Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany.
Altmannsberger
M
M
Fölsch
U R
UR
D000818:Animals; D001377:Azaserine; D018267:Carcinoma, Acinar Cell / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure
D007633:Keratins; D001377:Azaserine