Table 3.
Comparative expression profile of mucins in different stages and histological types of ovarian cancer
| Gene | Normal Ovary | Borderline (Mucinous) |
Low Stage (Stage 1-2) | High Stage (Stage 3-4) | Detection method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUC1 | +/- | ++ | + to +++ (in all histological types i.e. C, M, E, S) | + to +++ (in all histological types i.e. C, M, E, S) | ISH, NB, IHC [47-50] |
| MUC2 | ND | +++ | +++ (all histological types, primarily in mucinous type) | + to ++ | ISH, NB, IHC [47-51] |
| MUC3 | ND | +++ (primarily in intestinal phenotype | +++ (E, M) | - to + | ISH, NB [47,48] |
| MUC4 | - | +++ (primarily in endocervical phenotype) | +++ (all types i.e. C, M, E, S) | - to ++ | ISH, NB, IHC [47,48] |
| MUC5AC | ND | ++ (primarily in gastric surface cell or mucinous type) | ++ (E, M, S) | ++ | ISH, NB, [47,48] |
| MUC5B | ND | ++ (Express primarily in endocervical phenotype) | ++ (C, S) | - to + | ISH, NB [47,48] |
| MUC13 | ND | + | +++ (S, M) | ++ (S, M) | OMA, TMA, IHC [53,97] |
| CA125/MUC16 | - | - (express in non-mucinous borderline tumors | - to +++ (rarely express in mucinous tumors) | + to +++ (rarely express in mucinous tumors) | IHC [76-79] |
| MUC17 | - | + | - | - | [44,97] |
Note: C, M, E, and S are abbreviated for clear cell, mucinous, endometroid and serous histological types of ovarian tumors, respectively.
ISH, in-situ hybridization; NB, northern blotting; IHC, immunohistochemistry, TMA, tissue microarray, OMA, oligonucleotide microarray