Immunohistochemical study of mucin carbohydrates and core proteins in human pancreatic tumors

Abstract

Background. Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis, and early diagnosis of carcinoma and discrimination between malignant and benign conditions are difficult. Many pancreatic cancer‐associated antigens, such as CA 19‐9, DU‐PAN‐2, YPan‐1, and SPan‐1, have been studied. However, expression of Tn, sialosyl‐Tn, and T antigens in tissues of different types of pancreatic neoplasms has not been investigated systematically. Moreover, little is known about the distribution of different types of apomucins in the pancreas. Methods. The expression of Tn, sialosyl‐Tn, and T antigens and DF3 (mammary type apomucin) and intestinal MRP (intestinal type apomucin) was examined immunohistochemically in 47 pancreatic tumors: 36 invasive ductal carcinomas, 5 intraductal papillary tumors, and 6 adenomas. Results. In normal pancreatic tissues, neither Tn nor sialosyl‐Tn antigen was expressed. In contrast, expression of both Tn and sialosyl‐Tn antigens was observed in all the invasive ductal carcinomas and intraductal papillary tumors. None of the adenomas expressed both Tn and sialosyl‐Tn. DF3 antigen was expressed in all invasive ductal carcinomas but not in intraductal papillary tumors, whereas intestinal MRP was expressed in all the intraductal papillary tumors but not in the invasive ductal carcinomas. Conclusions. The results from this study suggest that the expression of the mucin core protein and mucin carbohydrate antigens is correlated with the biologic behavior of pancreatic tumors. In particular, the expression of mammary type mucin core protein and intestinal type mucin core protein showed a striking contrast between invasive ductal carcinomas with a poor prognosis and intraductal papillary tumors with a favorable prognosis.

Cripto-1 overexpression is involved in the tumorigenesis of gastric-type and pancreatobiliary-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas

“…The IPMN subtypes showed differential immunohistochemical staining of MUC, which implies diversity in the tumor progression pathway. The pancreatobiliary type shows a positive expression of MUC 1, which correlates with histological progression in invasive ductal adenocarcinoma (32). MUC2 is expressed mainly in goblet cells of the intestine, which means intestinal differentiation is important in this subtype (33)(34)(35).…”

A micropapillary pattern is predictive of a poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma, and reduced surfactant apoprotein A expression in the micropapillary pattern is an excellent indicator of a poor prognosis

“…Immunohistochemical staining was performed with the immunoperoxidase method using the ABC complex (Vector Laboratories, Inc., Burlingame, CA, USA) as described previously. 7,8 Briefly, each section was deparaffinized with xylene and endogenous peroxidase was blocked by incubating the sections in 0.3% hydrogen peroxide in absolute methanol at room temperature for 30 min. After hydration in decreasing concentrations of ethanol in water, the sections were washed in 0.01 mol/l PBS (pH 7.4).…”

Expression of mucins (MUC1, MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, MUC5AC and MUC6) and their prognostic significance in human breast cancer

“…28,29 However, we did not find any associations between MUC4 and any of the clinicopathological parameters or patients outcome in our series. The functions that have previously been suggested as possible tumour precipitating factors 39,40 have not been studied individually in this study, and more work still needs to be carried out to determine the role of this mucin in breast cancer.…”

“…TMA sections, 4 mm, were stained immunohistochemically using the standard streptavidin-biotin complex method as previously described. 16,31,39 Briefly, tissue slides were deparaffinized with xylene and then rehydrated through three changes of alcohol. Endogenous peroxidase activity was blocked by incubation in a 0.3% hydrogen peroxide/methanol buffer.…”