IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF CYTOKERATINS IN NORMAL ECCRINE GLANDS, WITH MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES IN ROUTINELY PROCESSED, FORMALIN-FIXED, PARAFFIN-EMBEDDED SECTIONS

Background: Immunohistochemical detection in paraffin sections would be of value in the retrospective analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Objective and Methods: In this study with several monoclonal antibodies directed against fixation-resistant keratin antigens, we performed immunohistochemical staining on routine paraffin-embedded sections to localize specific keratins in the eccrine sweat glands and to determine the tissue distribution of various keratins. Results: We clarified the localization of specific keratins in different segments of normal eccrine glands. Immunohistochemical localization of individual cytokeratins showed different patterns in secretory and ductal portions, although cytokeratins Were expressed in all segments of normal sweat glands. Different immunoreactivities were noted in the luminal and basal cells of eccrine ducts. There were also some differences in immunophenotype between the acrosy-ringium and the dermal ducts. Conclusion: These data provide information for the determination of the histogenesis and differentiation of skin tumors with eccrine differentiation.