MUC1 and MUC5AC implication in Tunisian colorectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND/AIM Mucins such as MUC1 and MUC5AC are known for their protective and moisturizing role of the intestinal epithelium. Their expression is tightly controlled given their essential role in the normal tissue homeostasis, whereas their deregulation leads to chronic inflammation and even cancer. This study aims to assess the expression profiles of MUC1 and MUC5AC and their implications in colorectal carcinogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of 202 patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery. The expression of MUC1 and MUC5AC was investigated by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Statistical analysis of mucins expression pattern along with the patients? clinicopathological criteria was performed by the chi-square test, survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method, and differences between the survival curves were tested using the log-rank test. RESULTS Expression of both mucins was abnormally high in tumor tissues for either mRNA or protein. MUC1 expression correlated with advanced cancer stages and lymph node metastases either for mRNA (p < 0.016 and p < 0.002 respectively) and protein level (p < 0.006 and p < 0.001 respectively). Whereas MUC5AC expression didn?t pinpoint any significant association between the clinicopathological criteria, but patients who expressed MUC5AC showed an increase in overall survival (p < 0.009). CONCLUSION The expression of MUC1 might be a poor prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer and could play a role in tumor transformation and metastasis. However, MUC5AC expression might be a good prognostic in the Tunisian cohort.