Immunohistochemical Study of MUC1 and MUC5AC Expression in Gall Bladder Lesions.

Abstract

Immunohistochemical (IHC) markers of mucin family are associated with various Gallbladder Lesions (GBLs). To study the distribution of GBL with respect to age and sex as well as to analyse the IHC profile of MUC1 and MUC5AC in GBLs and attempt correlation with clinical and histopathological findings. The present study was conducted over a period of six years. A technique of manual tissue array was employed for cases subjected to IHC using MUC1 and MUC5AC. Results were statistically analysed using software program "The Primer of Biostatistics 5.0". A total of 629 GBL were encountered. Out of 605 of non-neoplastic lesions, 32 (5.29%) expressed MUC1 while 515 (85.12%) cases expressed MUC5AC. Out of 24 cases of neoplastic GBL, 20 cases (83.33%) showed positivity for MUC1 and 9 cases (37.5%) were positive for MUC5AC. The rate of MUC1 expression was significantly higher in Gall Bladder Cancer (GBC) {18GB carcinoma (ca) +3 Carcinoma In Situ (CIS)} (85.71%) than chronic cholecystitis (4.71%). The positive rate of MUC5AC expression was significantly lower in GBC (28.57%) than chronic cholecystitis (87.19%). The percentage of cases showing MUC1 expression increased as the severity of disease progressed from hyperplasia to CIS. The percentage of cases showing MUC5AC expression decreased as the severity of disease progressed from hyperplasia to CIS. In this study, 96.18% cases were non neoplastic GBL of which chronic cholecystitis (87.77%) was predominant. 3.81% of the GBL constituted for neoplastic lesions of which 75% were GBC. MUC1 showed higher rates of expression in neoplastic GBL. MUC5AC showed higher rates of expression in non neoplastic GBL. Expression of MUC1 and MUC5AC might be closely related to pathogenesis of neoplastic and non neoplastic GBL.