Cytokeratin 16 (CK16, K16)

Stains & molecular markers
Cytokeratin 16 (CK16, K16)

Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.

Topic Completed: 1 October 2013

Minor changes: 15 December 2020

Copyright: 2003-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: CK16

Page views in 2020: 158

Page views in 2021 to date: 5

Table of Contents

Cite this page: Pernick N. Cytokeratin 16 (CK16, K16). PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainsck16.html. Accessed January 19th, 2021.

Definition / general

Molecular weight of 48 kDa
Paired with keratin 6
Activated keratinocytes produce keratin 6, 16, 17, not normally present (Am J Pathol 1998;152:1133)
Upregulated in benign keratinocyte hyperplasia, including psoriasis; prepsoriatic skin may be converted to a distinct adult tissue type resembling hard palate (J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc 2006;11:16)
Also upregulated in stress incontinence in periurethral vaginal wall (Hum Reprod 2006;21:22), conjunctival epithelium in Sjogren’s syndrome (Exp Eye Res 2003;77:17)
Downregulated in cervical squamous carcinoma (Virology 2005;331:269)
Mutations are associated with pachyonychia congenita (Nat Genet 1995;9:273) and focal non-epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma (Hum Mol Genet 1995;4:1875)

Uses by pathologists

No significant clinical use by pathologists

Positive staining - normal

Esophagus
Hair, nail and glands of epidermis
Melanocytes (Am J Dermatopathol 2005;27:476)

Positive staining - disease

Keratoderma of the palms (strong, Acta Dermatovenerol Croat Acta Dermatovenerol Croat 2005;13:206)
Skin damage (suprabasal keratinocytes)
Tympanic membrane-annular region (Acta Otolaryngol 1993;113:345)

Positive staining - malignant

Breast-invasive (10%, Am J Pathol 1991;138:751)
Squamous cell carcinoma in situ of skin-clear cell type (J Cutan Pathol 2007;34:226)

Negative staining

Normal breast

Additional references

OMIM 148067