Description
Keratins are a family of intermediate filament proteins that assemble into filaments through forming heterodimers of one type I keratin (keratins 9 to 23) and one type II keratin (keratins 1 to 8). Keratins demonstrate tissue and differentiation specific expression profiles. Keratin 15 is a type I keratin which is expressed only in basal keratinocytes in stratified epithelia and does not appear to have a natural type II expression partner. Keratin 15 is down regulated in activated keratinocytes. Cytokeratin 15 is a specific marker of stem cells of the hair-follicle bulge and may be a useful marker for diagnosis between basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and trichoepithelioma. Trichoblastoma are benign neoplasms of follicular differentiation frequently found in nevus sebaceous. Many morphologic features are shared with nodular basal cell carcinoma, sometimes rendering a diagnosis difficult. Trichoblastoma and BCC show variable expression of Cytokeratin 15 and Cytokeratin 19, and absence of hair keratins