FIGURE 6
(A) The extracellular mucin:cell ratio is depicted in 5 individual cases of mucinous tumors of the appendix, primary ovarian mucinous tumors, generalized pseudomyxoma peritonei and pseudomyxoma peritonei involving the ovary. In each, results depict mean ± standard deviation of 10 medium power microscopic fields (x250). Higher mucin:cell ratios averaging 10:1 are in evidence in non-ovarian tumors presumably due to the contribution of MUC2. (B) The MUC2 and MUC5AC antisense in situ hybridization signals are depicted in various mucinous lesions. Here mean signals from all the individual cases were pooled and an overall mean ± standard deviation was calculated. Non-ovarian tumors (all within the family of pseudomyxoma peritonei [PP]) exhibit strong signals with MUC2 more than MUC5AC. Ovarian tumors, in contrast, exhibit no MUC2 but slightly higher MUC5AC. (C) The MUC2 and MUC5AC antisense in situ hybridization signals are depicted in the various mucinous lesions showing different degrees of malignant transformation. The pseudomyxoma peritonei cases are divided into disseminated peritoneal adenomucinosis (DPAM), peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis with intermediate or discordant features (PMCA-I/D) and peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis (PMCA). Here mean signals from all the individual cases were pooled and an overall mean ± standard deviation was calculated. The signals vary according to cell of origin (intestinal v ovarian) but do not vary with the degrees of malignant transformation.
