Immunohistochemical profile of cytokeratins in pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia of cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical profile of cytokeratins (Ck) in pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Methods The tissue samples, with pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, were collected from 37 patients (age 6-85 years old) with indolent ulcers in skin confirmed as CL. The lesions were submitted to immunolabeling for Ck pairs 4-13, 5-14, and 6-16. Results In the 37 CL cases, Ck4 and Ck13 staining were, in the majority of cases, negative. Of them, 33 and 35 cases were negative for Ck4 and Ck13, respectively. The Ck4 immunostaining was found in basal and parabasal layers, and Ck13 was viewed in the basal compartment of epithelium. Ck5 was found in 29 cases distributed homogeneously in all layers. Ck14 and Ck6 were found in all samples in all layers, and Ck16 was positive for all cases but heterogeneously found in the basal layer. Conclusion In summary, we noticed that the pattern of some Ck staining in pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia in CL lesions revealed intense epithelial reinforcement, protection, and proliferation.