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Overexpression of the MUC2 gene through promoter hypomethylation in mucinous cell carcinomas and signet ring cell carcinomas of gastric cancer

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Abstract

Gastric carcinoma (GC) remains an important cause of mortality and morbidity in East Asia and the histological classification is still controversial, despite considerable understanding of the molecular nature of this disease and its precursor lesions. Mucins play important roles in carcinogenesis or tumor invasion and their aberrant expression are also associated with pathophysiological conditions and clinical outcomes. To investigate if differences with MUC2 expression in GC are associated through changes in promoter methylation and to evaluate the relationship with the histological features of GCs, the expression and methylation status of MUC2 gene was examined in samples from 40 gastric mucosa of GC by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). MUC2 was minimally and focally expressed in welldifferentiated (WD) and moderately-differentiated (MD) GC, while mucinous cell carcinomas (MCC) and signet ring cell carcinomas (SRC) displayed a uniform and strong staining intensity with a diffused cytoplasmic pattern. In addition, the MUC2 hypomethylation were found in 33% of the WD, 0% of the MD, 77% of the MCC, 75% of the MCC/SRC, and 80% of the SRC. Moreover, IHC and MSP analyses showed that MUC2 hypomethylation correlated with its overexpression. Collectively, these results suggest that MUC2 overexpression event in MCC and SRC types of GCs. However, further studies with large numbers of patients will be needed to confirm these findings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 700-422, Korea

    Han Ik Bae & Ying-Hua Li

  2. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 700-422, Korea

    Yeon Kyeong Na, Young Won Jung, Su Man Lee & Dong Sun Kim

  3. Department of Molecular Biology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, 712-714, Korea

    Jae Sub Yang

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  1. Han Ik Bae
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  2. Ying-Hua Li
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  3. Yeon Kyeong Na
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  4. Young Won Jung
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  5. Su Man Lee
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  7. Dong Sun Kim
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Correspondence to Dong Sun Kim.

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Bae, H.I., Li, YH., Na, Y.K. et al. Overexpression of the MUC2 gene through promoter hypomethylation in mucinous cell carcinomas and signet ring cell carcinomas of gastric cancer. Genes Genom 32, 429–435 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13258-010-0051-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13258-010-0051-4

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