MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, and MUC6 in colorectal cancer: expression profiles and clinical significance

Abstract

Mucin glycoprotein expression can be altered during the carcinogenic process. The impact on the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) is controversial. We analyzed tumors from 381 patients for MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, and MUC6 expression by immunohistochemical staining, using tissue microarrays. Progression-free and cancer-specific survival were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. Expression of intestinal mucin MUC2 was lost in 85 (23 %) CRCs, and patients with MUC6-negative tumors showed shorter progression-free survival (PFS, p = 0.043). Gastric mucins MUC5AC and MUC6 showed high (>50 %) aberrant expression in 28 (8 %) and 9 (2 %) cases, respectively. High expression of MUC5AC was associated with longer PFS (p = 0.055). High expression of MUC6 was associated with 100 % PFS (p = 0.024) and longer cancer-specific survival (CSS, p = 0.043). MUC1 was expressed in 238 (64 %) tumors and had no impact on outcome. When analysis was restricted to stages II and III, loss of MUC2 was associated with adverse outcome. Overexpression of both MUC5AC and MUC6 significantly predicted favorable PFS and CSS. In conclusion, loss of MUC2 expression proved to be a predictor of adverse outcome, while the gain of aberrant expression of MUC5AC and particularly of MUC6 was associated with favorable outcome in CRC, notably in intermediate stages II and III.

MUC1‐ and Survivin‐based DNA Vaccine Combining Immunoadjuvants CpG and interleukin‐2 in a Bicistronic Expression Plasmid Generates Specific Immune Responses and Antitumour Effects in a Murine Colorectal Carcinoma Model

“…Tumour antigens survivin and MUC1 are both reported to be upregulated and associated with the recurrence, metastasis and drug resistance in many cancers . In our previous research, survivin and MUC1 showed a better antitumour effect when combined in a vaccine than when given separately in a murine melanoma model .…”

Primary peri‐anal adenocarcinoma of intestinal type – a new proposed entity

“…Each adenocarcinoma had intestinal‐type morphology and expressed CDX2, and neither showed the ductal appearance of anal gland carcinoma or the predominantly mucinous phenotype of fistula‐associated adenocarcinoma. One of the adenocarcinomas (case 2) did not show MUC2 immunopositivity, but this absence does not exclude an intestinal phenotype, especially as approximately a quarter of colorectal carcinomas do not express this glycoprotein . The tumours arose in the peri‐anal region and/or anal verge but were clearly distal from the dentate line and the columnar cuff.…”

“…One of the adenocarcinomas (case 2) did not show MUC2 immunopositivity, but this absence does not exclude an intestinal phenotype, especially as approximately a quarter of colorectal carcinomas do not express this glycoprotein. 6 The tumours arose in the peri-anal region and/ or anal verge but were clearly distal from the dentate line and the columnar cuff. Both cases showed carcinoma beneath squamous epithelium, with no overlying columnar mucosa or adenoma.…”

A Human Liver Cell Atlas: Revealing Cell Type Heterogeneity and Adult Liver Progenitors by Single-Cell RNA-sequencing

“…4e,i). Organoid cells express AGR2 and other mucin family genes like MUC5AC and MUC5B, which are not expressed by the patients' cells but are expressed in intestinal cells and gastrointestinal cancers [42][43][44][45] (Extended Data Fig. 8b).…”