Macroscopic Findings and Mucous Phenotypes of Early Gastric Depressed Type Carcinomas

We studied the macroscopic features of differentiated-type gastric carcinomas to discern mucin phenotypes using 50 cases (54 lesions) of early gastric depressed type carcinomas, employing MUC5AC, MUC6, MUC2 and CD10 immunostains. We identified the G-phenotype (gastric phenotype) in 12 lesions, the gastrointestinal phenotype in 26 lesions, and the intestinal phenotype in 16 lesions. Carcinomas with the gastric phenotype revealed a significantly higher incidence of discolored surface (58.3%) than those with the intestinal phenotype (18.7%) (p<0.05). Carcinomas with the gastric phenotype also demonstrated a significantly higher incidence of non-wavy tumor margins (83.3%); those with the intestinal phenotype had only an 18.7% incidence of non-wavy tumor margins (p<0.01). No difference in the clarity of the marginal outline was found among the mucous phenotypes. The mucosal heights measured under a microscope revealed that the shallowest depressions among the nuclear-margin group were associated with gastric phenotype lesions.