Basic Research
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2005; 11(32): 4939-4946
Published online Aug 28, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i32.4939
MUC1 and MUC5AC mucin expression in liver fluke-associated intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Chanchai Boonla, Banchob Sripa, Peti Thuwajit, Ubon Cha-On, Anucha Puapairoj, Masanao Miwa, Sopit Wongkham
Chanchai Boonla, Peti Thuwajit, Ubon Cha-On, Sopit Wongkham, Department of Biochemistry, Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Banchob Sripa, Anucha Puapairoj, Department of Pathology, Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Masanao Miwa, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tskuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Thailand Research Fund, No. BRG/06/2544 and Royal Golden Jubilee PhD Program Grant, No. PHD/0045/2542 to Boonla C and Wongkham S
Correspondence to: Dr. Sopit Wongkham, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand. sopit@kku.ac.th
Telephone: +66-43-348-386 Fax: +66-43-348-375
Received: November 23, 2004
Revised: January 23, 2005
Accepted: January 26, 2005
Published online: August 28, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the expressions of MUC1 and MUC5AC in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Association of expressions of mucins MUC1 and MUC5AC with clinical findings, metastasis, and survival of the liver fluke-associated ICC patients was determined.

METHODS: The expressions of MUC1 and MUC5AC mucins were examined by immunohistochemical staining in 87 cases of histologically-proven ICC. The expressions of mucins in relationship between clinicopathological significance and prognosis of the patients were evaluated.

RESULTS: Fifty-two patients (60%) exhibited both MUC1 and MUC5AC expressions, whereas 31% expressed either MUC1 or MUC5AC, and 9% expressed neither. High MUC1 immunoreactivity displayed a significant correlation with tumor progression as reflected by vascular invasion (P<0.001), whereas high expression of MUC5AC significantly correlated with neural invasion (P = 0.022) and advanced ICC stage (P = 0.008). Patients with high expression of MUC1 had a significantly shorter survival (P = 0.0002). According to multivariate analyses, MUC1 reactivity (P = 0.026), histological grading and stage of tumor represented the least probability of survival.

CONCLUSION: MUC1 is overexpressed in liver fluke-associated cholangiocarcinoma and relates to vascular invasion and poor prognosis, whereas MUC5AC mucin is neoexpressed and relates to neural invasion and advanced ICC stage. High MUC1 expression in tumor may be useful for predicting the poor outcome of ICC patients.

Keywords: Cholangiocarcinoma, Mucin, MUC1, MUC5AC, Invasion, Survival, Immunohistochemistry