Cytokeratin 10

CK10 stains supra-basal cells in the epidermis and in different squamous epithelia of internal organs (vagina, exocervix, tongue, palate). In skin cells of sweat glands and hair roots are labelled. Simple epithelia, glandular epithelia and transitional epithelia of the urinary tract are negative. The antibody may be used for differential diagnosis of squamous epithelial carcinoma, which are Cytokeratin 10 positive, while adenocarcinoma are negative. Cytokeratins are a group of water insoluble filament proteins, which are constituents of the cytoskeleton of epidermal cells and other epithelial cells. By gel electrophoretic analysis up to now 20 different cytokeratins have been characterized. They have been divided into basic and acid subfamilies and may also be distinguished by their molecular weights and their tissue distribution. The most frequently used nomenclature has been published by R. Moll et al. (1982). 56,5 kDa Cytokeratin according to CK10 (Moll et al. 1982).