Vi. Guelstein et al., IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF CYTOKERATIN-17 IN TRANSITIONAL-CELL CARCINOMAS OF THE HUMAN URINARY-TRACT, Virchows Archiv including cell pathology including molecular pathology, 64(1), 1993, pp. 1-5
The expression of cytokeratin (CK) 17 was studied in 28 primary transi
tional cell carcinomas (TCCs) of the human urinary tract using CK 17-s
pecific monoclonal antibody E3. While CK 17 was not detectable at all
or only present in some areas of basal cells in normal - appearing uro
thelium, a certain subpopulation of cells of all G1 and G1/G2 TCCs exa
mined (9 cases) stained positive for CK 17. These latter cells were ei
ther restricted to the basal compartment or located also in suprabasal
layers exhibiting a decreasing intensity of immunoreactivity. CK 17 w
as seen in practically all cells in G2 and G2/G3 tumors (7 cases). In
contrast, G3 TCCs and anaplastic carcinomas showed a highly variable C
K 17 staining pattern ranging from completely negative to completely p
ositive with several intermediate phenotypes. Our results indicate tha
t CK 17 could be a useful marker for the progression of urinary tumors
.