Diagnostic value of mucins (MUC1, MUC2 and MUC5AC) expression profile in endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration specimens of the pancreas

Mucins are aberrantly expressed in various malignancies. We immunohistochemistrically tested mucins expression (MUC1, MUC2 and MUC5AC) in EUS‐FNA samples from pancreatic occupying lesions for the diagnostic utility. The prevalence of MUC1, MUC2 and MUC5AC expression in pancreatic cancers were 77.5% (31/40), 10.0% (4/40) and 80.0% (32/40), respectively, and in the benign pancreatic diseases 25% (4/16), 31.3% (5/16) and 43.8% (7/16). MUC1 and MUC5AC significantly overexpressed in pancreatic cancer, and MUC1 negatively related with tumor differentiation degree (p < 0.05). The prevalence of MUC1, MUC2 and MUC5AC expression in pancreatic mucinous neoplasms were 66.7% (12/18), 38.9% (7/18) and 88.9% (16/18), respectively, and in the pancreatic nonmucinous neoplasms 60.5% (23/38), 5.3% (2/38) and 57.9% (22/38). MUC2 and MUC5AC significantly overexpressed in pancreatic mucinous neoplasms, especially MUC2 in benign mucinous neoplasms (p < 0.05). Compared with cytology alone, the combination test of MUC1+cytology, and MUC5AC+cytology could achieve higher sensitivity (85 vs. 65%, 100 vs. 65%) and accuracy (89.3% vs. 73.2%, 91.1% vs. 73.2%) for pancreatic cancer diagnosis; the combination test of MUC2 + cytology, and MUC5AC + cytology could achieve higher sensitivity (77.8% vs. 38.9%, 100% vs. 38.9%), and specificity (97.4% vs. 60.5%, 71.1% vs. 60.5%) accuracy (100% vs. 51.8%, 80.4% vs. 51.8%) for mucinous neoplasm diagnosis. The panel MUC1+/MUC2−/MUC5AC+/ was higher specific in pancreatic cancer diagnosis, as well as MUC1−/MUC2+/MUC5AC+/ in pancreatic mucinous neoplasms. Our observations suggest the mucins expression profile in EUS‐FNA specimens has higher value for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and mucinous neoplasms. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.