title: Differential expression of MUC genes in endometrial and cervical tissues and tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mucin glycoprotein's are major components of mucus and are considered an important class of tumor associated antigens. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of human MUC genes (MUC1, MUC2, MUC5B, MUC5AC and MUC8) in human endometrium and cervix, and to compare and quantitate the expression of MUC genes in normal and cancerous tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Slot blot techniques were used to study the MUC gene expression and quantitation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the five-mucin genes studied, MUC1, MUC5B and MUC8 showed high expression levels in the normal and cancerous endometrial and cervical tissues, MUC2 and MUC5AC showed considerably lower expression. Statistically, higher levels of MUC1, MUC5B and MUC8 were observed in endometrial adenocarcinomas compared to normal tissues. In contrast, only MUC1 levels increased with no significant changes in expression of MUC5B and MUC8 in cervical tumors over normal cervical tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endometrial tumors showed increased expression of MUC1, MUC5B and MUC8 over normal tissues. Only MUC1 appears to be increase, in cervical tumors. All the studied tissues showed high and consistent expression of MUC8 mRNA. Low to neglible levels of MUC2 and MUC5AC were observed in all studied endometrial and cervical tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, PO Box 26901, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, USA. vidya-hebbar@ouhsc.edu
authors.forename: Vidya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hebbar
authors.forename: Gautam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Damera
authors.forename: Goverdhan P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Sachdev
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000941:Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D055271:Mucin 5AC; D018396:Mucin-1; D055262:Mucin-2; D055257:Mucin-5B; D009077:Mucins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D006023:Glycoproteins; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; C524625:MUC2 protein, human; C524678:MUC5AC protein, human; C524578:MUC5B protein, human; C105059:MUC8 protein, human; D055271:Mucin 5AC; D018396:Mucin-1; D055262:Mucin-2; D055257:Mucin-5B; D009077:Mucins; D012313:RNA