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Mucin histochemistry in colorectal disease: principles and potential clinical applications

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Conclusions

Mucin histochemistry, applied to formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue, has certainly made an important contribution to the study of mucin secretion in colorectal disease. A characteristic excess of sialomucins over sulphomucins associated with TM, has been identified by mucin histochemistry in a variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic disorders of colorectal mucosa. However, because of certain conflicting results obtained by the different research groups, the nature and the significance of this abnormal mucin pattern are far from settled. On present evidence, TM cannot be regarded as a specific indicator of premalignancy. Further prospective studies on larger series of cases are certainly needed. The different research groups should also aim at achieving some standardisation of the various histochemical methods used for mucin identification. Mucin histochemistry could be usefully complemented by ultrastructural, biochemical and immunological approaches.

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  1. Laboratoire d'anatomie pathologique, Institut Jean Godinot, Reims, France

    W. V. Bogomoletz

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Bogomoletz, W.V. Mucin histochemistry in colorectal disease: principles and potential clinical applications. Int J Colorect Dis 1, 259–264 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01648350

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