Cytokeratin polypeptide profile of Merkel cells in human fetal and adult skin: difference of expression of cytokeratins in epidermal and dermal Merkel cells.
J Invest Dermatol
; 98(2): 171-80, 1992 Feb.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-1370677
ABSTRACT
The origin of Merkel cells is uncertain, although current evidence by immunohistochemical keratin marker studies favors an epidermal derivation. We studied the expression of keratin species in Merkel cells of human fetus and adult using 19 anti-keratin antibodies. Epidermal and dermal Merkel cells contained not only simple epithelium-type but also some stratified epithelium-type keratins. Interestingly, expression of some keratins was different between epidermal and dermal Merkel cells, for example, AN3 (50, 58 kD) and CKB1 (50 kD) recognized epidermal Merkel cells, but not dermal Merkel cells. These results suggest that surrounding keratinocytes influence the expression of cytokeratins in Merkel cells or that dermal Merkel cells undergo a modification from keratin-producing epidermal Merkel cells to a more neural cell type by the association with nerve endings in the upper dermis. On the other hand, certain cytokeratin polypeptides recognizable with Ks19.1 (40 kD), CK5 (45 kD), and CAM5.2 (52.5 kD) were expressed in both epidermal and dermal Merkel cells. The expression of simple epithelium-type keratins in Merkel cells remained even after the epidermal basal cells gradually lost their expression.
Search on Google
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Skin
/
Keratins
Limits:
Adult
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
J Invest Dermatol
Year:
1992
Type:
Article