Cytokeratin-17 as a Potential Marker for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx

Abstract

To assess cytokeratin-17 (CK17) as an immunohistochemical marker for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, we stained 63 tissue samples from 63 consecutive patients who were believed or suspected to have squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx for CK17 and analyzed them by computerized histomorphometry. The mean staining intensity for CK17 was significantly stronger (p < .01) in cancerous cells, dysplasia, and normal epithelium proximal to the tumor than in distal normal epithelium and polyps. The percentage of stained area, within samples taken from a single patient, was significantly higher in malignancy and dysplasia as compared to distal normal epithelium and in malignancy as compared to dysplasia and proximal normal epithelium (p < .001). The integrated optical density was significantly higher in the malignant epithelium, dysplasia, polyps, and proximal normal epithelium than in distal normal epithelium (p < .0001). We conclude that CK17 is a highly sensitive and specific immunohistochemical marker for premalignant and malignant transformation in the larynx. Further investigation is warranted in order to assess the role of CK17 in determining safe resection borders.

Evaluation of Superficial Oral Squamous Cell Malignancy Based on Morphometry and Immunoexpression of Cytokeratin 13 and Cytokeratin 17

“…Moreover, Noguchi et al [19] reported that CK17 immunoexpression and mRNA expression increased as the grade of epithelial dysplasia advanced. Similar results were reported in the uterine cervix [23,27,28], oesophagus [24] and larynx [29], underscoring the potential utility of CK17 as a marker for malignancy in squamous cells.…”

Cytokeratin 17 mRNA expression has potential for diagnostic marker of oral squamous cell carcinoma

“…Thus determination of CK 17 mRNA over-expression could contribute to distinguish ND not detected a Value of CK mRNA RQ was deWned as positive if the value was higher more than 2.5 and as negative if less than 2.5, as described in the Materials and methods section b The statistical signiWcance of the association was determined by the chi-square test c The clinical stages were determined according to the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) d The histological diVerentiation grades were determined according to the WHO (Chu et al 2005;Goldstein and Bassi 2001). In SCC of larynx, the mean staining intensity of CK 17 was signiWcantly stronger in tumor than in normal epithelium, and the percentage of stained area was also signiWcantly higher than normal epithelium (Cohen-Kerem et al 2004).…”

The Diagnostic Accuracy of Reverse Transcription-PCR Quantification of Cytokeratin mRNA in the Detection of Sentinel Lymph Node Invasion in Oral and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Comparison with Immunohistochemistry

“…The cytokeratins (CK) 5 and 14 were chosen because first, the basal layer of the oral stratified squamous epithelium mainly expresses these two CK; second, because they are usually predominant in squamous cell carcinoma (19); and third, recent research has reported the use of CK 5 and 14 in quantitative RT-PCR analysis with interesting results in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (15,16). CK 17 was chosen because it is typically expressed on the basal cells of complex epithelia and in hyperproliferative squamous epithelia and its usefulness in the histopathologic diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma is well documented (20,21). Finally, none of these CKs is normally expressed in the lymph node vessels (22).…”