Expression of intermediate filament proteins in fetal and adult human lung tissues

The expression patterns of intermediate filament proteins in fetal and normal or nonpathological adult human lung tissues are described using (chain-specific) monoclonal antibodies. In early stages of development (9-10 weeks and 25 weeks of gestation) only so-called simple cytokeratins such as cytokeratins 7 (minor amounts). 8, 18 and 19 are detected in bronchial epithelial cells. At later stages of development, the cytokeratin expression patterns become more complex. The number of bronchial cells positive for cytokeratin 7 increases, but basal cells in the bronchial epithelium remain negative. These latter cells show, however, expression of cytokeratin 14 in the third trimester of gestation. Developing alveolar epithelial cells express cytokeratins 7, 8, 18 and 19. In adult human bronchial epithelium cytokeratins 4 (varying amounts), 7, 8, 13 (minor amounts), 14, 18 and 19 can be detected, with the main expression of cytokeratins 7, 8, and 18 in columnar cells and the main expression of cytokeratin 14 in basal cells. Vimentin is detected in all mesenchymal tissues. In addition, fetal lung expresses vimentin in bronchial epithelium, however, to a lesser extent with increasing age, resulting in the expression of vimentin in only few scattered bronchial cells at birth. Also in adult bronchial epithelium the expression of vimentin is noticed in part of the basal and columnar epithelial cells. Desmin filaments, present in smooth muscle cells of the lung, appear to alter their protein structure with age. In early stages of development smooth muscle cells surrounding blood vessels are partly reactive with some cytokeratin antibodies and with a polyclonal desmin antibody. At week 9-10 and week 25 of gestation a monoclonal antibody to desmin, however, is not reactive with blood vessel smooth muscle cells but is only reactive with smooth muscle cells surrounding bronchi. With increasing age the reactivity of cytokeratin antibodies with smooth muscle cells in blood vessels decreases, while the reactivity with the monoclonal desmin antibody increases. Our results show that during differentiation profound changes in the intermediate filament expression patterns occur in the different cell types of the developing lung.