Expression of Cytokeratin (Ck) 7, Cytokeratin (Ck) 18, Carcinoembryonic Antigen (Cea) and Alpha Fetoprotein (Afp) In Liver Diseases

Abstract

Liver diseases have a worldwide distribution and are common causes of death. Many problems with the increased cause of deaths by liver diseases lie in the difficulty of diagnosis in the first instance. Immunohistochemical technique has proven to contribute in diagnosis of several malignancies including those of the liver, yet this technique has not been applied in the diagnosis of other liver diseases other than just the malignancies. The significance of this study is to use immunohistochemistry as an aid in diagnosis of not only malignant conditions of the liver but other diseases. Liver tissues received at the Histopathology Laboratory of Federal Teaching
Hospital Gombe were traced using the laboratory data base. Enlisted paraffin embedded tissue blocks were retrieved. The formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue blocks obtained were sorted out into the various liver disorders. Six sections cut at 3µ were obtained from each tissue block. One section was used for Haematoxylin and eosin staining technique while one section each was treated with one of the 4 antibodies for CK7, CK18, CEA and AFP. The results showed that CK7 is expressed in 45% of liver diseases, CK18 expressed in 84% of liver diseases, AFP expressed in 70% of liver diseases and CEA expressed in 37.5% of liver diseases. There is co-expression of
CK7and CK18, CK7 and CEA, CK7 and AFP, CK18 and CEA, CK18 and AFP, CEA and AFP, CK7, CK18 and AFP, and all four antibodies. It could be concluded that tumour markers are expressed in liver diseases which can be demonstrated using immunohistochemistry.