Expression of cytokeratins and vimentin in normal and neoplastic tissue from the bovine female reproductive tract

The distribution of cytokeratins (CKs) and vimentin in the normal genital t ract of calves and cows at different stages of the oestrous cycle and in ep ithelial tumours of the tract was studied immunohistochemically. Few differ ences in CK and vimentin immunolabelling were detected in relation to age o r stage of the oestrous cycle. Coexpression of CKs in simple epithelia and in basal cells of stratified epithelia was detected in the oviduct and endo cervix; this coexpression was different from that previously described in w omen. The demonstration of CKs but not vimentin in the neoplastic cells of a serous superficial ovarian papilloma suggested an origin from the ovarian surface epithelium, while the coexpression of CKs and vimentin in serous p apillary and mucinous cystadenomas pointed to a possible origin from the re te ovarii. Studies on three uterine adenocarcinomas and the ovarian metasta ses from two of these showed an endometrial-CK phenotype. The intermediate filament profile of normal endometrium, conserved in uterine adeno-carcinom as and their ovarian metastases. may be useful in discriminating between ov arian metastases from endometrial carcinomas and those originating from pri mary carcinomas in other organs. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.