EXPRESSION OF A PEPTIDE EPITOPE OF THE COLONIC MUCIN MUC2 IN PRECURSOR LESIONS TO GASTRIC-CARCINOMA

Previous histochemical studies have shown that changes occur in the co mposition of mucins both in preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of th e gastric mucosa, Since monoclonal antibodies are now available which recognize the protein product of distinct mucin genes, they are likely to provide useful tools for evaluating these changes, Thus, a monoclo nal antibody 996/1 raised against a peptide epitope of the colonic muc in MUC2 was examined for its potential as a prognostic indicator in ga stric cancer, 996/1 works well on formalin-fixed paraffin sections and shows good staining of the colonic goblet cells in the region of the golgi, while there is no staining of normal control gastric mucosa, Th e epitope was detected in all cases of intestinal metaplasia (44 sampl es) and some but not all cases of dysplasia (26 samples) and gastric c arcinoma (74 samples), There was no significant difference between the positivity of the tumours according to their classification, stage an d lymph node status, These results unfortunately gave little indicatio n that this antibody would be a useful prognostic tool in gastric canc er, However, the pattern of 996/1 staining provides useful information about the molecular changes in mucin expression that occur in gastric carcinogenesis.