Distribution of metallothionein in normal and pathological human skin

The expression and distribution of metallothionein (MT) in frozen sections of normal and pathological human skin was studied using the monoclonal antibody L2E3 directed against MT derived from human fetal liver. Immunohistochemical staining of normal fetal and adult skin revealed strong reactivity i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of Dermatological Research 1994, Vol.286 (1), p.62-68
Main Authors: VAN DEN OORD, J. J, DE LEY, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Apocrine Glands - metabolism
Biological and medical sciences
Dermatology
Eccrine Glands - metabolism
Epidermis - metabolism
Fetus - metabolism
Hair - metabolism
Humans
Hyperplasia
Immunohistochemistry
Infant, Newborn
Keratinocytes - metabolism
Medical sciences
Metallothionein - immunology
Metallothionein - metabolism
Skin - anatomy & histology
Skin - metabolism
Skin - pathology
Skin Diseases - metabolism
Skin Diseases - pathology
Skin involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous. General aspects
Tissue Distribution
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Summary:The expression and distribution of metallothionein (MT) in frozen sections of normal and pathological human skin was studied using the monoclonal antibody L2E3 directed against MT derived from human fetal liver. Immunohistochemical staining of normal fetal and adult skin revealed strong reactivity in basal keratinocytes of epidermis and outer hair root sheath, hair matrix cells and the secretory coil, but not the exocrine portion of eccrine glands; myoepithelial cells around apocrine sweat glands were similarly stained. In epidermal hyperplasia, variable numbers of suprabasal keratinocytes were stained, whereas in interface dermatitis, interrupted staining was found in the basal layer. Weak or scattered staining was observed in squamous tumours, whereas basal cell carcinomas did not show consistent staining. The distribution of MT in normal skin was in line with the germinative role of basal keratinocytes and hair matrix cells, whereas its distribution in hyperplastic epidermis was in line with experimental animal data, and reflected the increase in the germinative pool in these conditions. It is concluded that monoclonal antibody L2E3 may serve as a valuable immunohistochemical marker in diagnostic cutaneous pathology since it labels basal keratinocytes selectively, and since it discriminates between eccrine and apocrine sweat glands.
ISSN:0340-3696
1432-069X
DOI:10.1007/bf00375845