[A simple method of preparation of keratin filaments and production of a polyclonal broad-spectrum anti-cytokeratin antiserum for immunohistochemical application in fixed and unfixed epithelial tissues].

Rabbits were immunized with 10 nm filaments of a mixture of cytokeratins which has been isolated from human heel callus material and reconstituted to filaments in vitro. The antisera to keratins (ASK) have been tested histologically at fixed and unfixed tissue samples by means of the indirect immunofluorescence and PAP technique. The ASK recognized specifically only the epithelial cells of skin, of the mucous membranes of mouth and digestive tract, of salivary glands, sweat gland and mammary gland, but did not react with hepatocytes or kidney cells. The following tumors, tested till now, reacted with the antikeratin antisera: epithelial and lymphoepithelial carcinomas of skin, mouth and digestive tract, carcinomas of salivary glands, mammary gland and thyroid gland, adamantinoma, basalioma of skin, and metastases from carcinomas.