Study of the expression of intestinal mucin MUC-2 and the marker of proliferative activity Ki-67 in colorectal carcinomas

Authors

  • I.K. Kharkhalis
  • I.S. Shponka
  • O.V. Poslavska

Keywords:

colorectal cancer, digital morphometry, MUC-2, Ki-67.

Abstract

Introduction. Colorectal carcinomas (CRCs), as defined by WHO, are malignant epithelial tumors originating in the large intestine, showing glandular or mucinous features of differentiation. The development of CRC demonstrates a complex pathogenesis due to a violation of the intestinal mucosal barrier. Goblet cells are thought to secrete mucin, which forms a mucosal barrier and maintains intestinal integrity. Mucin type 2 (MUC-2) is mainly expressed in the small and large intestine, and disturbances in its production are associated with various inflammatory diseases and carcinomas. Chronic inflammation leads to cell damage that transforms the inflamed epithelium into low-grade dysplasia, high-grade dysplasia, and further into CRC. Also, the literature emphasizes the importance of studying MUC-2 in individual histological types of CRC, which have a different course and prognosis for patient survival. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of the expression of intestinal mucin MUC-2 depending on the clinical and morphological characteristics and proliferative activity of colorectal carcinomas. Methods. The work examined the clinical and anatomical material of CRC of 37 patients (15 women and 22 men), which was obtained during operations (right hemicolectomy, resection of the sigmoid colon, Hartmann's operation, resection of the transverse colon, resection of the ileum); all of them were treated in the 2nd surgical department of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Clinical Hospital in the period from 2019 to 2021. The age of the patients ranged from 27 to 82 years; the average age was 61.43±14.90 years. Primary monoclonal antibodies to Ki-67 (sp6, 1:250), MUC2 (sp1, RTU) and UltraVision Quanto imaging system, LabVision) were used for immunohistochemical examination. Results. The average intensity of MUC-2 staining showed a significant difference in individual histological types of CRC (the darkest staining was found in mucinous and ring-shaped cell carcinomas, the lightest in micropapillary adenocarcinoma, p<0.05); and also, in subgroups with different proliferative potential according to Ki-67 (a decrease in the intensity of MUC-2 expression was accompanied by an increase in the proliferation index, p<0.05). The distribution of MUC-2 expression variants – typical (membrane diffuse or membrane focal) or aberrant (cytoplasmic, cytoplasmic-nuclear dot like) showed a significant difference in the age group (with increasing age, the relative number of aberrant MUC-2 expression increased, p<0 .05); and also, in the group with G2, the relative number of aberrant MUC-2 expression was significantly higher compared to G3 (p<0.05). The absolute absence of an aberrant MUC-2 expression variant was noted in the group of CRC with metastases, compared to the group without metastases, where they were found in 50.00% (10 out of 20); in the group of CRC with a low proliferation index, compared to the groups of moderate and high proliferation, where they were found in 46.15% (6 out of 13) and 28.57% (4 out of 14), respectively; in certain histological types of CRC, namely, mucinous, ring-shaped cell and adenocarcinoma of the adenoma-like type. The largest number of aberrant variants of MUC-2 expression was observed in such histological types of CRC as medullary carcinoma 66.67% (2 of 3), micropapillary carcinoma 33.33% (1 of 3) and adenocarcinoma NOS 31.58% (6 of 19).

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Published

2022-10-14

How to Cite

Kharkhalis, . I., Shponka , I., & Poslavska, O. (2022). Study of the expression of intestinal mucin MUC-2 and the marker of proliferative activity Ki-67 in colorectal carcinomas. Морфологія / Morphologia / Morfologìâ, 16(3), 110–117. Retrieved from https://morphology.dma.edu.ua/article/view/282000

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 3 (2022)

Section

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