Cytokeratin 14

Cytokeratin 14 (CK14) belongs to the acid subfamily of CKs (Type I) and is characteristic of stratifying epithelia (trachea, bronchi, cervix, epidermis, sweat glands). The antibody to CK14 is helpful to distinguish between stratifying epithelia and simple epithelia, which don't express this type of cytokeratins. Tumours of squamous cell origin will be stained with this antibody. Cytokeratins are a group of water-insoluble filamentous proteins. They are constituents of the cytoskeleton of epidermal cells and other epithelial cells. Up to now 20 different cytokeratins have been characterised by gel electrophoresis. They have been subdivided into a basic and an acid subfamily. Most frequently the nomenclature according to Moll et al. (1982) is used. Human cytokeratin 14.