title: Reproducible and highly sensitive detection of the broad spectrum epithelial marker keratin 19 in routine cancer diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study the recently developed keratin 19 antibody RCK108 is biochemically and immunohistochemically characterized. Its applicability as a keratin marker in routinely processed histological tissue specimens is assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The keratin 19 antibody RCK108 antibody was tested on normal and malignant routinely formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens. It stains most, although not all, glandular epithelia and showed (focal) reactivity in the basal cell compartment of stratified epithelia. It was found to react with most epithelial tumours, including adenocarcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas and endocrine tumours of various origins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Its reproducible and highly sensitive staining characteristics make RCK108 a useful antibody to be applied as a broad epithelial marker for carcinoma detection in routinely processed paraffin sections. As such, RCK108 is a specific reagent for practically all epithelial tumours. A few types of epithelial malignancies, known not to contain keratin 19, were negative for RCK108. Therefore the antibody is also useful in some narrow differential diagnostic considerations such as cholangiocellular carcinoma (RCK108 positive) vs. hepatocellular carcinoma (RCK108 negative). Another important feature of this antibody is that it shows very little reactivity in mesenchymal tissues, or mesenchymally derived tumours, as is frequently described for other keratin antibodies. A few leiomyosarcomas showed sporadic reactivity.
authors.affiliation: DCS Innovative Diagnostik Systeme, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Kwaspen
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Smedts
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Broos
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bulten
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Debie
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Ramaekers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D010954:Plasmacytoma; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007633:Keratins