Different Keratin Polypeptides in Epidermis and Other Epithelia of Human Skin: A Specific Cytokeratin of Molecular Weight 46,000 in Epithelia of the Pilosebaceous Tract and Basal Cell Epitheliomas

The study analyzed cytokeratin polypeptides in human skin, focusing on the epidermis, pilosebaceous tract, and eccrine sweat glands. It found that the pilosebaceous tract shared three major keratin polypeptides with interfollicular epidermis but lacked others, instead containing a unique acidic cytokeratin of molecular weight (mol wt) 46,000. This cytokeratin was also prominent in basal-cell epitheliomas, showing a similarity between these tumors and hair-follicle epithelium. The study concluded that different skin epithelia could be distinguished by their specific cytokeratin patterns, and the cytoskeleton of basal-cell epitheliomas was related to that of the pilosebaceous tract.