Stains
Cytokeratin AE3
Copyright: 2003-2015, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: AE3[title]
Cytokeratin AE3
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Topic Completed: 1 October 2013
Minor changes: 5 March 2019
Copyright: 2003-2015, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: AE3[title]
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Positive staining - normal | Positive staining - disease | Microscopic (histologic) images | Additional referencesCite this page: Pernick N. Cytokeratin AE3. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainsae3.html. Accessed June 2nd, 2020.
Definition / general
- Often used in a cytokeratin cocktail with AE1 (see AE1/AE3)
- Detects high molecular weight CK1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and CK6 and low molecular weight CK7 and CK8; these are basic (type II) cytokeratins
- Often considered a high molecular weight antibody (CK1-CK6 are high molecular weight, CK7-CK8 are low molecular weight)
- Another high molecular weight keratin is 34 beta E12
- Caution: AE3 is also the name of a chloride/bicarbonate anion exchanger (Biochem J 2003;371:687)
Positive staining - normal
- Most epithelium; including bile ducts, bronchial gland secretory cells (Histol Histopathol 2005;20:865)
Positive staining - disease
- Most carcinomas; also adrenocortical oncocytoma (Am J Surg Pathol 1998;22:603
- Lichen amyloidosus and macular amyloidosis (J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2004;18:305)
- Pterygium (Yan Ke Xue Bao 2000;16:48)
Microscopic (histologic) images
Nodal reticulum cells
Additional references
