Ationship ML 281 between mucin expression and the patient’s outcome cannot be evaluated, because the gastric cancers are in the early stage at pT1b2 and most of the patients have had a favorable outcome. Nevertheless, the following results were obtained: (1) The MUC4/8G7, MUC4/1G8 and MUC1/DF3 expressions were related with lymphatic invasion. (2) The MUC4/ 1G8 expression was related with lymph node metastasis. (3) The MU1/DF3 expression was related with venous invasion. In Japan, ESD is the first choice treatment 25033180 for early gastric cancers [3]. Examination of MUC4 as well as MUC1 in the ESD specimens may clarify whether the additional surgery, including lymph node dissection or frequent follow-up for the metastasis are necessary. Our previous studies demonstrated that there was no siginificant correlation between MUC4 expression and MUC1 expression [10,11,12,13]. Also in the present study of the gastric cancers in the early stage, there was no siginificant correlation betweenexpression of MUC4 and MUC1. Both MUC4 and MUC1 expression in the gastric cancers may be related with the poor prognostic factors, such as lymphatic invasion, venous invasion and lymph node metastasis, by means of different mechanism. In the previous study of gastric cancers using MAb 8G7, Senapati et al. demonstrated that MUC4/8G7 expression was not associated with tumor type, stage or with the degree of differentiation [18]. Interestingly, their results showed an 42 expression rate in the stage I cancers (n = 19), which is in accordance with our data (MUC4/8G7: 42 and MUC4/1G8: 48 ) in the present study examining stage I cancers (n = 104). However, our study revealed that both MUC4/8G7 and MUC4/ 1G8 expressions were different among the histological types, and were significantly higher in the well differentiated types than in the poorly differentiated type. MUC1/DF3 expression was also significantly higher in the well differentiated types than in the poorly differentiated type. We reported that MUC1 expression was high in the well differentiated adenocarcinoma in gastric cancers including advanced cancers, and the high MUC1 expression may affect the survival of patients with well differentiated adenocarcinoma of stomach [6]. The high expression of MUC4 in the well differentiated adenocarcinoma also may affect the survival of patients with gastric cancer. In our previous study [6], the rate of high expression of MUC1/DF3 was significantly higher in the advanced gastric cancers than that in the early gastric cancers. The relationship of MUC4 expression with the invasion of gastric cancers would be an interesting area of study. There is controversy regarding the prognostic 35013-72-0 cost significance of MUC4/8G7 and MUC4/1G8 expression. Thus, we have reviewed 19 articles of MUC4 IHC study applied for various human cancer tissues (Table 3). The significance of MUC4/8G7 and MUC4/1G8 could not be evaluated in 8 of the 19 studies. One study using polyclonal anti-MIUC4 antibody reported that MUC4 expression is related to a fovorabel outcome [19], three studies show no correlation between MUC4 expression and prognosis [20,21,22], the other three studies did not have any comments on the correlation between MUC4 expression and prognosis [18,23,24], and the remaining one study of thyroid cancer reported no MUC4 expression in the cancer [25]. On the other hand, in the other 11 articles, there was an apparent difference of the prognostic significance between MUC4/8G7 expression and MUC4/1G8 expressi.Ationship between mucin expression and the patient’s outcome cannot be evaluated, because the gastric cancers are in the early stage at pT1b2 and most of the patients have had a favorable outcome. Nevertheless, the following results were obtained: (1) The MUC4/8G7, MUC4/1G8 and MUC1/DF3 expressions were related with lymphatic invasion. (2) The MUC4/ 1G8 expression was related with lymph node metastasis. (3) The MU1/DF3 expression was related with venous invasion. In Japan, ESD is the first choice treatment 25033180 for early gastric cancers [3]. Examination of MUC4 as well as MUC1 in the ESD specimens may clarify whether the additional surgery, including lymph node dissection or frequent follow-up for the metastasis are necessary. Our previous studies demonstrated that there was no siginificant correlation between MUC4 expression and MUC1 expression [10,11,12,13]. Also in the present study of the gastric cancers in the early stage, there was no siginificant correlation betweenexpression of MUC4 and MUC1. Both MUC4 and MUC1 expression in the gastric cancers may be related with the poor prognostic factors, such as lymphatic invasion, venous invasion and lymph node metastasis, by means of different mechanism. In the previous study of gastric cancers using MAb 8G7, Senapati et al. demonstrated that MUC4/8G7 expression was not associated with tumor type, stage or with the degree of differentiation [18]. Interestingly, their results showed an 42 expression rate in the stage I cancers (n = 19), which is in accordance with our data (MUC4/8G7: 42 and MUC4/1G8: 48 ) in the present study examining stage I cancers (n = 104). However, our study revealed that both MUC4/8G7 and MUC4/ 1G8 expressions were different among the histological types, and were significantly higher in the well differentiated types than in the poorly differentiated type. MUC1/DF3 expression was also significantly higher in the well differentiated types than in the poorly differentiated type. We reported that MUC1 expression was high in the well differentiated adenocarcinoma in gastric cancers including advanced cancers, and the high MUC1 expression may affect the survival of patients with well differentiated adenocarcinoma of stomach [6]. The high expression of MUC4 in the well differentiated adenocarcinoma also may affect the survival of patients with gastric cancer. In our previous study [6], the rate of high expression of MUC1/DF3 was significantly higher in the advanced gastric cancers than that in the early gastric cancers. The relationship of MUC4 expression with the invasion of gastric cancers would be an interesting area of study. There is controversy regarding the prognostic significance of MUC4/8G7 and MUC4/1G8 expression. Thus, we have reviewed 19 articles of MUC4 IHC study applied for various human cancer tissues (Table 3). The significance of MUC4/8G7 and MUC4/1G8 could not be evaluated in 8 of the 19 studies. One study using polyclonal anti-MIUC4 antibody reported that MUC4 expression is related to a fovorabel outcome [19], three studies show no correlation between MUC4 expression and prognosis [20,21,22], the other three studies did not have any comments on the correlation between MUC4 expression and prognosis [18,23,24], and the remaining one study of thyroid cancer reported no MUC4 expression in the cancer [25]. On the other hand, in the other 11 articles, there was an apparent difference of the prognostic significance between MUC4/8G7 expression and MUC4/1G8 expressi.
