In previous studies of the expression of MUC1 (membrane-bound type mucin) and MUC2 (intestinal type secretory mucin) in pancreatic tumours, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) usually showed MUC1+ and MUC2- expression, whereas intraductal papillary-mucinous tumour (IPMT) showed MUC1- and MUC2+ expression. Recently, however, many IPMTs have been collected, a considerable number of which have shown MUC1- and MUC2- expression. In the present study, the clinicopathological features were examined of 18 IPMTs with MUC2+ and 32 IPMTs with MUC2-, and their potential for malignancy was compared. Most of the IPMTs with MUC2+ were composed of dark columnar cells, whereas most of the IPMTs with MUC2- were composed of clear columnar cells. The incidence of carcinomatous change and invasive proliferation of the carcinoma in the MUC2+ tumours was significantly higher than in the MUC2- tumours. The clinical outcome for the patients with IPMT showing the MUC2+ pattern tended to be worse than for those with IPMT showing the MUC2- pattern, although the overall outcome for the two types of IPMT was significantly better than for those with IDC. Because of the differences in mucin expression pattern, morphological appearance and potential for malignancy between the two types of IPMT, we believe that they belong to different neoplastic lineages and that it may be reasonable to classify them as different entities, although the WHO classification contains a single clinicopathological entity of IPMT forming an adenoma-carcinoma sequence. In conclusion, our classification of IPMTs by MUC2 expression pattern may be of value in the better assessment of the biological behaviour of IPMTs and their potential for malignancy.

Previously it has been found that the MUC2 gene for intestinal type secretory mucin is highly expressed in intraductal papillary mucinous tumors (IPMT), which are characterized by non-invasive growth and a favorable outcome. In contrast, MUC2 mRNA is rarely expressed in invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC), which have poor outcomes. The gastric type secretory mucin, MUC5AC, is strongly expressed in the surface mucous cells of gastric mucosa. As both MUC2 and MUC5AC mucins share the characteristics of forming highly viscous gels, it is expected that not only MUC2 mucin expression but also MUC5AC mucin expression may be associated with a favorable prognosis in patients with pancreatic tumors. MUC5AC mucin gene expression was examined in 24 cases of IPMT and 38 cases of IDC by in situ hybridization using a digoxigenin-labeled oligonucleotide. The results were compared with MUC2 mucin gene expression. Neither MUC5AC mRNA nor MUC2 mRNA was detected in normal pancreatic tissues. MUC5AC mRNA was expressed in 20 of 24 cases of IPMT (83%) and in five of 38 cases of IDC (13%). In contrast, MUC2 mRNA was expressed in 14 of 24 cases of IPMT (58%) and in none of the 38 cases of IDC (0%). The expression rates of MUC5AC mRNA and MUC2 mRNA in IPMT were significantly higher than those in IDC (P< 0.001, respectively). Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors are characterized by three histological types: (i) villous dark cell type; (ii) papillary clear cell type; and (iii) compact cell type. The villous dark cell type generally expressed both MUC5AC+ and MUC2+ genes. Alternatively, the papillary clear cell type and the compact cell type usually showed MUC5AC+ and MUC2- expression. Patients with MUC5AC mRNA expression had a significantly better survival prognosis than those with no MUC5AC mRNA expression (P< 0.005). In conclusion, MUC5AC gene expression occurs in a majority of IPMT cases, even in those with no MUC2 production. MUC5AC expression can be

The expression of mucin carbohydrates [Tn, sialosyl-Tn(STn), and T antigens] and core proteins [MUCI-apomucin-related antigen (ARA) and MUC2-ARA] was examined immunohistochemically in tissues from 40 patients with hepatolithiasis and 26 patients with intrahepatic bile-duct carcinoma. Tn and STn antigens were expressed in most of the carcinomas, and were also often expressed in the atypical bile-duct epithelium of the patients with hepatolithiasis or carcinoma, whereas they were rarely or never expressed in the normal bile duct, suggesting that they are effective tumor markers. T antigen was less useful as a marker for intrahepatic bile-duct carcinoma or the atypical epithelium, because it was expressed in normal bile-duct of some cases. Regarding the expression of ARAs in the carcinomas, non-invasive bile-duct cyst adenocarcinomas with favorable prognosis either expressed no MUCI-ARA with [DF3(-), MUSEII(-) and 139H2(-)] staining pattern or expressed MUCI-ARA with [DF3(-), MUSEII(+) and 139H2(+)] staining pattern. However these tumors often expressed MUC2-ARA with [anti-MRP(+) and CCP58(+)] staining pattern. In contrast, most invasive non-papillary cholangiocarcinomas with poor prognosis expressed MUCI-ARA with [DF3(+), MUSEII(+) and 139H2(+)] staining pattern, but expressed no MUC2-ARA with [anti-MRP(-) and CCP58(-)] staining pattern. These results suggests that different apomucins are produced by bile-duct cystadenocarcinomas and cholangiocarcinomas with differing prognosis. Furthermore, expression of Tn and STn antigens is a useful indicator of malignancy in the intrahepatic duct.

Our previous immunohistochemical studies in the pancreas, intrahepatic bile duct, and ampulla of Vater demonstrated that an invasive carcinoma with a poor outcome showed a pattern of MUC1 (membrane‐bound mucin) positive and MUC2 (intestinal‐type secretory mucin) negative, whereas many of the non‐invasive tumors with favorable outcome showed a pattern of MUC1 negative and MUC2 positive. The aim of this study is to compare the expression profiles of MUC1 and MUC2 mucins in extrahepatic bile duct carcinomas to gain insight into the relationship between the biological nature of the carcinomas and the role of mucins. We examined the expression profiles of MUC1 of different glycoforms and MUC2 in 60 extrahepatic bile duct carcinomas using immunohistochemistry. The expression of MUC1/CORE (core peptide of MUC1), MUC1/DF3 (core peptide of MUC1 with sialyl oligosaccharides) and MUC1/MY.1E12 (sialylated MUC1) showed a significant relationship with tumor progression factors such as poor differentiation, deep invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion or perineural invasion. In contrast, the expression of MUC1/HMFG‐1 (fully glycosylated MUC1) did not show a significant relationship with the tumor progression factors. In the different glycoforms of MUC1 examined, the expression of MUC1/DF3 and MUC1/MY.1E12 was related with the poor outcome of the patients. In contrast, the expression of MUC2 was inversely related with the tumor progression factors and poor outcome. In the 52 patients with advanced tumors, only MUC1/DF3 high expression correlated with poor prognosis. In conclusion, MUC1/DF3 was the most useful prognosis indicator among the various glycoforms of MUC1 mucins.

The expression of MUC-1 mucin (membrane-associated mucin) and MUC-2 mucin (secretory mucin) were immunohistochemically examined in 46 invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC) and 16 intraductal papillary mucinous tumors (IPMT) of the pancreas. Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors usually reveal expansive growth. However, of the 16 IPMT examined in the present study, three showed an invasive growth pattern, which was similar to 'mucinous carcinoma', around the non-invasive growth areas. Of 46 IDC, MUC-1 mucin detected by monoclonal antibodies, DF3 and MY.1E12, was expressed in 44 cases (96%) and in 45 cases (98%), respectively, whereas MUC-2 mucin detected by polyclonal antibody, anti-MRP, was not expressed in any of the cases (0%). In contrast, in the non-invasive growth areas of the 16 IPMT, MUC-1 mucin detected by DF3 and MY.1E12 was expressed in four cases (25%) and in six cases (38%), respectively, whereas MUC-2 mucin detected by anti-MRP was expressed in 13 cases (81%). The invasive growth areas of the three IPMT showed positive expression of MUC-1 mucins detected by DF3 and MY.1E12, although the non-invasive growth areas showed negative expression of MUC-1 mucins, except for their focal positive expression in one of the three cases. These findings indicate that the invasive growth areas of IPMT acquire a characteristic of MUC-1 mucin expression that is usually seen in IDC.