Detection and isolation of MUC1 mucin from larynx squamous cell carcinoma.

UNLABELLED: The progression from uncontrolled cell proliferation to invasion and metastasis of epithelial tumors is partially understood. Alteration of epithelial mucin expression have been described in different malignant localizations but only few attempts have been made to identify mucin expression in malignant laryngeal tumors. In the present report, results are shown of studies on the expression of mucins and carbohydrate related antigens in laryngeal cancer and on the isolation of MUC1 mucin from this tumor tissue. Malignant laryngeal specimens were processed for immunohistochemical analysis and for extranuclear membrane fractions (ENM) which were obtained by ultracentrifugation. Subsequently, ENM samples were centrifuged in density-gradient; the analysis of fractions was performed by means of SDS-PAGE and Western-blotting. The panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) included anti MUC1 mucin, anti Lewis x, anti sialyl Lewis x, anti Lewis y, anti MUC-5B, anti oral mucin (gp230), anti Tn hapten, anti p53 and anti cytokeratins. By immunohistochemistry, it was possible to detect MUC1 mucin, Lewis x and Lewis y showing strong reactions while sialyl-Lewis x and Tn antigen only reacted weakly in a few cells; cytokeratins were detected in all samples. In ENM derived fractions obtained by CsCl centrifugation, MUC1 was demonstrated by Western blotting.
CONCLUSIONS: (1) laryngeal cancer antigenic expression comprises mostly MUC1 mucin, Lewis x, Lewis y as well as Tn antigen and (2) the methodology here employed is useful to isolate MUC1 from tumor samples.