Cytokeratin 14

This is an acidic cytokeratin. It is expressed by myoepithelium and by the basal cells of keratinised squamous epithelium.

Immunohistochemical expression

Normal tissues:

Carcinomas:

Organ

squamous carcinoma

adenocarcinoma

other

head and neck

27/301

 

 

oesophagus

14/141

 

 

lung

13/151, 35/372 , 18/348

2/101, 7/332 , 0/298

poorly differentiated

0/38

small cell

1/71, 2/372

carcinoid

0/91

pleura

 

 

mesothelioma

3/171, 16/306

breast

 

lobular carcinoma

0/61, 0/78

 

ductal carcinoma

0/201, 4/548

stomach

 

0/81

 

colon

 

1/201, 0/618

 

liver

 

hepatocellular

0/111

 

cholangiocarcinoma

1/141

pancreas

 

1/131

 

parotid

 

 

pleomorphic adenoma

4/51

kidney

 

0/191

 

bladder

pure squamous cell carcinoma

4/43

 

transitional cell carcinoma

5/241,9/19 3

foci of squamous differentiation in transitional cell carcinoma

15/163

prostate

 

0/181 , 0/648

 

uterus

cervical

13/151

endometrial

1/101

 

ovary

 

3/241, 4/458

 

skin

 

 

Melanoma

0/258

Merkel cell tumour

0/91

gastrointestinal tract

 

 

carcinoid

0/151

thymus

 

 

thymoma

8/81

adrenal

 

 

cortical carcinoma

0/101

thyroid

 

follicular carcinoma

0/51

follicular adenoma

1/241

 

papillary carcinoma

0/101

medullary carcinoma

0/161

brain

 

 

glioblastoma

0/228

miscellaneous

 

 

 

epithelioid sarcoma

0/121

neuroendocrine carcinoma

0/91

germ cell tumour

0/141

Overall

92% (102/111)

7% (16/221)

 

The frequency of immunoreactivity of squamous cell carcinomas appears to be independent of the degree of differentiation. Considering the squamous cell carcinomas listed above:

 

Cytokeratin immunoreactive

well differentiated

8/91

moderately differentiated

33/351

poorly differentiated

26/301

There is preliminary evidence that oncocytic tumours are immunoreactive, including Hurtle cell adenomas of the thyroid, Warthin tumours of the salivary glands and oxyphil adenomas of the parathyroid4.

Diagnostic utility

References

1Chu, P. G., Lyda, M. H., Weiss, L. M. Cytokeratin 14 expression in epithelial neoplasms: a survey of 435 cases with emphasis on its value in differentiating squamous cell carcinomas from other epithelial tumours. Histopathology 2001;39:9-16.

2Lyda, M. H., Weiss, L. M.. Immunoreactivity for epithelial and neuroendocrine antibodies are useful in the differential diagnosis of lung carcinomas. Human Pathol 2000;31:890-897.

3Harnden, P., Southgate, J. Cytokeratin 14 as a marker of squamous differentiation in transitional cell carcinomas. J Clin Pathol 1997;50:1032-3.

4Erickson, L. A., Jin, L., Papotti, M., Lloyd, R. V. Oxyphil parathyroid carcinomas: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of 10 cases. Am J Surg Pathol 2002;26:344-349.

5de Araujo, V.C., Kowalski, L.P., Soares, F., de Araujo, N.S., Loducca, S.V. and Sobral, A.P. Salivary duct carcinoma: cytokeratin 14 as a marker of in-situ intraductal growth. Histopathology 2002;41:244-9.

6Miettinen, M., J. Limon, et al. (2001). "Calretinin and other mesothelioma markers in synovial sarcoma: analysis of antigenic similarities and differences with malignant mesothelioma." Am J Surg Pathol 25(5): 610-7.

7Freeman, A., K. Treurnicht, et al. (2002). "A comparison of basal cell markers used in the prostate." Histopathology 40(5): 492-4.

8Reis-Filho JS, Simpson PT, Martins A, Preto A, Gartner F,Schmitt FC Distribution of p63, cytokeratins 5/6 and cytokeratin 14 in 51 normal and 400 neoplastic human tissue samples using TARP-4 multi-tumor tissue microarray. Virchows Arch 2003; 443:122-32 This study used tissue microarrays.

This page last revised 15.3.2005.

©SMUHT/PW Bishop