Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of mucin phenotype in gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Gastric and intestinal mucin phenotype cell markers are widely expressed in gastric carcinoma cells, irrespective of their tumor histological type. In the present study, we tried to reveal the clinicopathological significance of mucin phenotype in human gastric carcinomas. Moreover, we investigated the clinical significance of RUNX3 in association with mucin phenotype.


METHODS
The mucin expression of MUC5AC, MUC6, MUC2, and CD10 was evaluated in 97 gastric carcinomas by immunohistochemistry. Tumors were classified into gastric (G), gastric and intestinal mixed (GI), intestinal (I), and null (N) phenotype according to combination of mucin expression.


RESULTS
The rate of G, GI, I, and N phenotype was 40.0%, 38.1%, 10.3%, and 19.6%, respectively. Mucin phenotype was also significantly correlated with several clinicopathological findings. Patients with I phenotype had a significantly poorer prognosis than those with any other phenotypes. They also had a higher rate of postoperative liver metastasis. Multivariate analysis revealed that mucin phenotype was a significant independent prognostic factor. We suggested that Loss of RUNX3 expression might correlate with intestinal phenotype and postoperative outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Mucin phenotype has a significant prognostic value and may be a useful marker for the treatment of human gastric carcinoma.
Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan. kohei@naramed-u.ac.jp
Kohei
K
Wakatsuki
Yukishige
Y
Yamada
Michihiro
M
Narikiyo
Masato
M
Ueno
Tomoyoshi
T
Takayama
Hidetoshi
H
Tamaki
Katsuhiko
K
Miki
Sohei
S
Matsumoto
Koji
K
Enomoto
Tomoyo
T
Yokotani
Yoshiyuki
Y
Nakajima
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D050677:Core Binding Factor Alpha 3 Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D050677:Core Binding Factor Alpha 3 Subunit; D009077:Mucins; D015260:Neprilysin