Mucin core protein expression in extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma is associated with metastases to the liver and poor prognosis

• Published in: Cancer 1999-11, Vol.86 (10), p.1966-1975
• Main Authors: Takao, Sonshin, Uchikura, Keiichirou, Yonezawa, Suguru, Shinchi, Hiroyuki, Aikou, Takashi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate - biosynthesis; Bile Duct; bile duct carcinoma; Bile Duct Neoplasms - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Glycoproteins - biosynthesis; Humans; Liver Neoplasms - secondary; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Logistic Models; Medical sciences; metastases; Middle Aged; mucin core protein‐1; Mucin-1 - biosynthesis; Neoplasm Proteins - biosynthesis; Oligosaccharides - biosynthesis; Peptide Fragments - biosynthesis; poor prognosis; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; surgery; Tumors
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0142(19991115)86:10<1966::AID-CNCR13>3.0.CO;2-M

BACKGROUND Curative resection does not guarantee long term survival for the patient with extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma because of the possibility of metastases to the liver (LM). Expression of mucin core protein‐1 (MUC1), sialyl‐Lex, and sialosyl‐Tn in bile duct carcinoma was determined and compared with LM and prognosis. METHODS Immunohistochemical expression of MUC1, sialyl‐Lex, and sialosyl‐Tn in 73 extrahepatic bile duct tumors was analyzed using the DF3, FH6, and TKH2 monoclonal antibodies, respectively. Scoring was based on the percentage of immunoreactive cells: negative, low expression (≤25% immunoreactive cells), and high expression (>25%). RESULTS High expression of MUC1, sialyl‐Lex, and sialosyl‐Tn was observed in 68.5%, 34.2%, and 54.8%, respectively. of 73 cases. Patients with tumors showing high expression of MUC1 had a higher rate of LM (48.9%) and a significantly shorter survival period (median survival time, 17.8 months) compared with patients with tumors showing low (incidence of LM, 9.1%; median survival time, >100 months) or negative (incidence of LM, 11.1%; median survival time, 52.9 months) expression of MUC1 (P < 0.01). However, the survival period of patients with tumors showing high, low, or negative expression of sialyl‐Lex or of sialosyl‐Tn did not differ significantly. High MUC1 expression correlated with LM by logistic regression analysis and emerged as an independent prognostic factor in stepwise multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study demonstrate that high expression of MUC1 correlates with LM and poor outcome in patients with extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma. Cancer 1999;86:1966–75. © 1999 American Cancer Society. Curative resection cannot guarantee long term survival for patients with extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma because of metastases to the liver (LM). Immunohistochemically, high expression of mucin core protein correlates with LM and poor outcome of patients with extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma.