Keratins and Tumors

Abstract: Type I and II keratins are major components of intermediate filaments in epithelial cells. Keratins have important effects on the stability and integrity of the cellular morphology. Furthermore， they also participate in many intracellular signal transduction pathways. Mutations in genes encoding keratins cause hereditary skin disease， and white sponge nevus in liver， oral mucosa， esophagus， vulva， and rectal as well. Recent studies found that many types of keratins expressed specifically in human tumors， and keratin antibodies could play important roles in tumor diagnosis， classification and prognosis. Therefore， studying the association between the tumor and keratin will help in tumor diagnosis and treatment. This review introduces recent researches in molecular mechanisms and clinical applications of keratins， which may enhance the readers to understand the association between keratins and the progress， diagnosis and prognosis of the tumors.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2012.05.0012