Stains & CD markers
MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC6


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Last staff update: 23 May 2023

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PubMed Search: MUC2

Nat Pernick, M.D.
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Table of Contents
MUC2 | MUC3 | MUC4 | MUC5AC | MUC6
Cite this page: Pernick N. MUC2-MUC6. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainsmuc2.html. Accessed April 19th, 2024.
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
  • Upregulated by steroid hormones in vitro
  • Positive staining: invasive breast carcinoma, gastric carcinoma (associated with poor prognosis)
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
MUC6
  • Produces protective glycoprotein coat for gut epithelia
  • Positive staining - normal: stomach (pyloric glands), gallbladder, colon and endocervix
  • Positive staining - disease: invasive ductal carcinoma of breast, gastric carcinomas
  • Negative staining: normal breast tissue
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