Prognostic Significance of Mucin Expression in Gastric Carcinoma

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Abstract
In patients with gastric carcinomas, the role of the alteration of mucin expression in overall survivalhas been a matter of some speculation, but few studies have been reported. The aim of our studywas to determine the relationship between MUC1, MUC2, and MUC5AC expression and patientsurvival, with a secondary aim designed to investigate the alteration of MUC expression withinvarious clinicopathologic parameters. Forty-four specimens from gastric carcinoma patients wereimmunohistochemically evaluated using the monoclonal antibodies for MUC1 (EMA, clone E29),MUC2 (CCP58), and MUC5AC (human gastric mucin, clone 45M1). MUC1 expression increasedin gastric carcinoma. MUC1 positivity was determined to be statistically significant, with poor clin-icopathologicalparameters and decreased long-term survival. MUC5AC expression decreased ingastric carcinoma. In addition, patients with MUC5AC-positive tumors also had poor clinicopatho-logicalparameters and showed shorter survival than those with MUC5AC-negative tumors. MUC2expression was not significantly associated with patient survival. We confirmed that the expressionof mucins is associated with characteristics of differentiation in gastric carcinoma. Poor patientoutcomes were seen in gastric carcinomas with MUC1 mucin expression and MUC5AC positivity.