Immunocytochemistry of cytokeratins in primary human liver tumors.

Human liver parenchymal cells have a very simple cytokeratin composition and express only one cytokeratin pair: cytokeratin 8 (a type II cytokeratin, molecular weight 52 kD) and cytokeratin 18 (a type I cytokeratin, molecular weight 45 kD). Intrahepatic bile duct cells contain in addition to cytokeratins 8 and 18 also cytokeratins 7 (a type II cytokeratin, molecular weight 54 kD) and cytokeratin 19 (a type I cytokeratin, molecular weight 40 kD). The paper deals with the cytokeratin expression in various types of benign and malignant primary liver tumors as assessed by immunohistochemical methods or by the use of gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting of cytoskeletal extracts.