Description
This antibody recognizes a protein of 56.5kDa, identified as cytokeratin 10 (CK10). cytokeratin 10 is expressed in all suprabasal layers of the epidermis. In the epidermis, expression of cytokeratin 10 strictly parallels the extent of differentiation; it is absent in the basal layer, appears in the first suprabasal layers and increases in concentration towards the granular layer. However, cytokeratin 10 is rarely detected in early stages of vulvar squamous carcinomas (tumors less than 2 cm, clinical stage I) regardless of the tumor grade. In larger and more advanced tumors (greater than 2 cm, clinical stages II and III), cytokeratin 10 is detected very frequently. Expression of cytokeratin 10 is related to maturation of malignant keratinocytes, being preferentially detected in more-differentiated parts