Relationship between immunoexpression of mucin peptide cores MUC1 and MUC2 and Lauren's histologic subtypes of gastric carcinomas.
Laurèn's system subdivides gastric cancers into an intestinal type and a diffuse type. This histological classification mirrors histogenetic hypotheses according to which the intestinal-type cancer derives from intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia, while the diffuse-type originates directly from gastric mucosa, with or without a preceding non-metaplastic dysplasia. Studies concerning mucins expression in gastric neoplastic and preneoplastic lesions have provided contradictory data concerning such histogenetic relationships. The aim of the present study was to verify whether a correlation between mucins phenotype and Lauren's classification subsists. 40 gastric adenocarcinomas, subdivided, according to Laurèn's classification, into 27 intestinal-type, 10 diffuse-type and 3 unclassified cases, were examined for MUC1 and MUC2 immunohistochemical expression. Intestinal-type carcinomas displayed a MUC1-positive staining in 23/27 cases and a MUC2-positive immunoreaction in 10/27 cases. Diffuse-type carcinomas expressed MUC1 in 3/10 and MUC2 in 8/10 cases, respectively. According to the mucins expression pattern, three phenotypes were identified: the gastric phenotype (MUC1+/MUC2-); the gastro-intestinal phenotype (MUC1+/MUC2+) and the intestinal phenotype (MUC1-/MUC2+). The gastric phenotype was significantly higherin intestinal-type adenocarcinomas, whereas cases showing an intestinal phenotype were significantly more frequent in diffuse-type adenocarcinomas. These findings provide evidence for a lack of correlation between Lauren's classification and MUC1 and MUC2 phenotypes. In particular, the term intestinal-type tumour as referred to gland-forming gastric cancer does not seem to reflect an immunohistochemical phenotype.
Barresi
V
V
Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Italy. barresi@unime.it
Vitarelli
E
E
Grosso
M
M
Tuccari
G
G
Barresi
G
G
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1; D055262:Mucin-2; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; C524625:MUC2 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1; D055262:Mucin-2; D009077:Mucins