title: Expression of MUC1 and MUC4 in gallbladder adenocarcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent reports have indicated that overexpression of mucin (MUC) 1 and/or MUC4 correlates with the occurrence and progression of extra-hepatobiliary malignancy. In this study, we investigated the expression of MUC1 and MUC4 and their prognostic significance in gallbladder adenocarcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 54 surgical gallbladder adenocarcinoma samples by immunohistochemistry for MUC1 and MUC4 expression. Staining was evaluated as a sum score of extent and intensity, dividing the samples into low and high expression groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The low expression group for both MUC1 and MUC4 was 10 samples (18.5%), and the high expression group was 44 samples (81.5%). High MUC1 expression was significantly correlated with more differentiated tumors (p=0.033), whereas high expression of MUC4 correlated with negative nodal status (p=0.012). Other pathological features were not correlated with MUC expression. Multivariate cox regression analysis showed that neither MUC1 nor MUC4 expression correlated with survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although there were some correlations found, a prognostic role for either MUC1 or MUC4 expression in gallbladder carcinoma was not identified in this study. Further investigation is required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Su-Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sun-Ju
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Bang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hur
keywords: Adenocarcinoma; Gallbladder; MUC1; MUC4