Immunohistochemical analysis of CK14 and CK19 in tooth germ and ameloblastoma

Introduction. Odontogenesis is the process by which teeth form, and where different molecules are expressed, among them some cytokeratins (CK) like CK14 and CK19. Remnants of odontogenic epithelium may persist once the development process is complete, which has been suggested to be involved in the development of ameloblastoma, one of the most common benign odontogenic tumors. It has been suggested that CK14 and CK19 are useful markers of ameloblast differentiation and that they could have implications for tumor behavior. The aim of this study was to describe the patterns of immunohistochemical expression of these cytokeratins in tooth germs and ameloblastomas. Materials and methods. We worked with 6 solid multicystic ameloblastomas and 5 tooth germs. The immunohistochemistry technique was used to visualize CK14 and CK19. Results. We detected CK14 and CK19 immunoexpression in the epithelium and no expression in the ectomesenchyme in both tooth germs and ameloblastomas. It was concluded that CK19 can be considered an efficient marker of ameloblast differentiation, whereas CK14 is gradually replaced by CK19 in the inner epithelium of the enamel organ, showing strong immunoexpression in secretory ameloblasts.