Expression of cytokeratins 10, 13, 14 and 19 in oral lichen planus.

OLP is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that may develop into squamous-cell carcinoma. Cytokeratins, which are important components of the cytoskeleton, are excellent epithelial differentiation markers used to study neoplastic and inflammatory diseases. To study the profile of cytokeratins in OLP and their possible association with dysplastic alterations, monoclonal antibodies were used for cytokeratins 10, 13, 14 and 19, in 26 samples of OLP. The streptavidin-biotin technique was employed in paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Sample analysis revealed suprabasal expression of cytokeratin 10 in 16/17 samples, 14 of them with reduced expression; suprabasal expression of cytokeratin 13 in 18/23, 16 of them with delay; basal and suprabasal expression of cytokeratin 14 in all samples; and focal basal expression of cytokeratin 19 in 4/21. Expression of cytokeratins 10, 13 and 14 was altered in OLP lesions. The inflammatory process and hyperkeratosis or parakeratosis seem to have interfered with the expression of these CKs. Cytokeratin 19 was expressed in the lesions, in a pattern similar to that mentioned in the literature for the non-keratinized oral mucosa. The presence of mild dysplasia did not change the expression of the cytokeratins studied. No differences in pattern of expression were observed between keratinized and non-keratinized areas in the lesions caused by OLP.