Mucin secretion by gastric carcinoma cells: PAS alcian blue stain study

Thirty cases of gastric cancer were studied. Slides were stained with PAS Alcian Blue. The staining characteristics of the mucin were correlated with gross characteristics of the tumours and histological types. Due to the few cases studied, there was no observed statistical significance between the various mucin staining characteristics with the histological type, sex site of tumour and ethnicity. In 84% of cases the tumour cells secreted either neutral or mixed mucins. Acid mucins were demonstrated in 5 cases only. Neutral mucin is normally secreted by gastric epithelium and neck cells of gastric glands. The observation in this study suggests that those tumours which secrete neutral and mixed mucin probably arise from gastric epithelium, neck cells of gastric glands or colonic metaplasia. In those cases where the tumour produces acid mucin it is possible the tumour arose from areas of intestinal metaplasia.