Cytokeratin (CK) 20 is a low molecular-weight intermediate filament reportedly expressed only by benign and malignant gastrointestinal epithelium, urothelium and Merkel cells. The main aims here were to map its expression in normal oral mucosa of humans and other mammals, and to determine whether it was expressed by abnormal human oral epithelium. Salivary and odontogenic epithelium were also analysed. An immunoperoxidase method was used on wax-embedded and cryostat sections. In addition, double-labelling experiments were undertaken to determine the association between CK 20 expression and that of CK 8/18 or S100 protein. Normal human oral mucosa from four sites, together with abdominal skin, was studied in autopsy samples from 32 individuals. CK 20-positive, basally situated, round or angular cells, consistent with Merkel cells, were recorded in 24/32 (75.0%) samples of mandibular gingiva, 25/32 (78.1%) samples of hard palate, 7/32 (21.9%) samples of buccal mucosa, 0/32 samples of lateral border of tongue, and 2/32 (6.3%) samples of abdominal skin. Double-labelling showed that all CK 20-positive Merkel cells also expressed CK 8/18 and S100. The only other cells to express CK 20 were human taste buds. There was no expression by dysplastic or invasive oral epithelium from biopsy samples. Colonic mucosa showed luminal-cell positivity in man, marmoset, ferret, rabbit and guinea-pig, but oral mucosa was universally negative in non-human species. It is concluded that in oral mucosa CK 20 is a specific marker of Merkel cells and taste buds, that Merkel cells are more frequently present in keratinized than non-keratinized oral mucosa, that CK 20-positive Merkel cells are also S100-positive, that there may be interspecies variations in CK 20 polypeptide composition and that, by contrast to urothelium, CK 20 has no value in the diagnosis of oral epithelial dysplasia.
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