Diverse expression patterns of mucin 2 in colorectal cancer indicates its mechanism related to the intestinal mucosal barrier

Table 5 Relationship between serum levels of mucin 2 and clinicopathological parameters in patients with colorectal cancer, n (%)

Clinicopathological parameter	n (%)	Serum MUC2 expression		χ2	P value
		Low, n (%)	High, n (%)
Age, yr
≤ 60	30	11 (36.7)	19 (63.3)	0.080	0.777
> 60	36	12 (33.3)	24 (66.7)
Gender
Male	38	12 (31.6)	26 (68.4)	0.422	0.516
Female	28	11 (39.3)	17 (60.7)
Tumor location
Rectum and anus	24	10 (47.1)	14 (58.3)	0.772	0.380
Colon	42	13 (31.0)	29 (65.2)
TNM stage
I-II	36	16 (44.4)	20 (55.6)	6.687	0.033
III	21	7 (33.3)	14 (66.7)
IV	9	0 (0.0)	9 (100.0)
Maximum tumor diameter
< 5 cm	33	12 (36.4)	21 (63.6)	0.067	0.796
≥ 5 cm	33	11 (33.3)	22 (66.7)
Depth of invasion
Non-immersed serosa	12	5 (41.7)	7 (58.3)	0.300	0.584
Immersed serosa	54	18 (33.3)	36 (66.7)
Degree of differentiation
High-moderate	60	21 (38.3)	39 (61.7)	F1	1.000
Low	6	2 (33.3)	4 (66.7)
Tumor type
Mucinous adenocarcinoma	14	8 (57.1)	6 (42.9)	21.241	< 0.01
Non-mucinous adenocarcinoma	52	15 (32.7)	37 (67.3)
Lymph node metastasis
No	36	16 (44.4)	20 (55.6)	3.212	0.073
Yes	30	7 (23.3)	23 (76.7)
Distant metastasis
No	57	23 (40.4)	34 (59.6)	F1	0.022
Yes	9	0 (0.0)	9 (100.0)

¹Fisher exact test was used when the expected frequency was less than 1. Due to the small number of patients with stage I, in order to reduce bias, we combined the stage I with stage II patients for analysis. Similarly, there was only one patients with highly differentiated colorectal cancer, so this patient was combined with the patients with moderately differentiated disease. Serum levels of mucin 2 was correlated with tumor-node-metastasis stage, tumor type, and distant metastasis in colorectal cancer patients. MUC2: Mucin 2; TNM: Tumor-node-metastasis.