Description

Twenty human keratins are divided into acidic (pH 6.0) subfamilies. Members of the acidic and basic subfamilies are found together in pairs. The composition of keratin pairs varies with the epithelial cell type, stage of differentiation, cellular growth environment, and disease state. Many studies have shown the usefulness of keratins as markers in cancer research and tumor identification. Point mutations in cytokeratin-5 gene may cause Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex and Dowling-Degos disease. Keratin-5 is expressed in most epithelioid and biphasic mesotheliomas, thymoma, squamous and other carcinomas. It?s related to Keratin-6.