Stains & molecular markers
MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC6
Copyright: 2002-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: MUC2 [title]
MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC6
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Topic Completed: 1 June 2005
Minor changes: 2 April 2021
Copyright: 2002-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: MUC2 [title]
Cite this page: Pernick N. MUC2-MUC6. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainsmuc2.html. Accessed April 15th, 2021.
MUC2
- Epithelial mucin expressed in intestinal goblet cells and airway epithelium; gene is at 11p15.5
- Relatively specific for predicting colorectal origin for Paget disease (Am J Surg Pathol 2001;25:1469)
- Gel forming MUC2 mucin may act as barrier to prevent infiltration of malignant cells in breast mucinous / colloid carcinoma
- Positive staining: intestinal and airway epithelium; mucinous carcinoma of colon, breast, pancreas, ovary and stomach
- Negative staining: stomach, breast ductal and lobular carcinomas
MUC3
MUC4
- Transmembrane or membrane bound mucin that provides a protective layer of mucus
- Normally acts as barrier to apical surface of epithelial cells, playing a protective and regulatory role
- Positive staining - normal: tracheobronchial mucosa, colon, stomach, cervix and lung; normal salivary glands
- Positive staining - disease: pancreatic, colonic, pulmonary and gastric carcinoma; sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (Am J Surg Pathol 2014;38:1538, Am J Surg Pathol 2012;36:1444)
MUC5AC
- Also known as MUC5 (GeneCards)
- Protects epithelium
- Positive staining - normal: stomach (foveolar epithelium of body and antrum), tracheobronchial mucosa, endometrium (mucinous metaplasia, eosinophilic change / metaplasia (Mod Pathol 2005;18:1243), surface syncytial change, ciliated change in 52%)
- Positive staining - disease: extramammary Paget disease but not mammary Paget disease or normal breast tissue (Am J Surg Pathol 2001;25:1469); mucinous carcinoma of ovary, diffuse type gastric carcinoma (83%)
- Negative staining: normal breast tissue
