Altered expression of MUC2 and MUC5AC in progression of colorectal carcinoma

Table 1 Frequency of MUC2 and MUC5AC protein expression in colorectal tissues n (%)

MUC staining score	NM	HP	LGD	HGD	CCA	MC	SRCC
MUC21
High	6 (100.00)	12 (100.00)	9 (60.00)	5 (35.71)	3 (11.54)	9 (60.00)	4 (50.00)
Intermediate	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	6 (40.00)	9 (64.29)	9 (34.62)	6 (40.00)	3 (37.50)
Negative	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	14 (53.85)	0 (0.00)	1 (12.50)
P2	0.0013	< 0.0001	0.0003	0.0023	-	0.003	0.0198
MUC5AC
High	0 (0.00)	5 (41.67)	3 (20.00)	6 (42.86)	3 (11.54)	7 (46.67)	2 (25.00)
Intermediate	0 (0.00)	7 (58.33)	12 (80.00)	8 (57.14)	5 (19.23)	8 (53.33)	6 (75.00)
Negative	6 (100.00)	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)	18 (69.23)	0 (0.00)	0 (0.00)
P3	0.1444	0.0007	0.0007	0.0003	-	0.0002	0.0047

¹MUC2 protein expression is significantly decreased in HP-LGD-HGD-CCA sequence (r = -0.73436, P < 0.0001);

²MUC2 protein expression in CCA vs other groups;

³MUC5AC protein expression in CCA vs other groups. NM: Normal mucosa; HP: Hyperplastic polyp; LGD: Low-grade dysplasia; HGD: High-grade dysplasia; CCA: Conventional colorectal adenocarcinoma; MC: Mucinous carcinoma; SRCC: Signet-ring cell carcinoma.