We compared the frequency of CpG island methylation phenotype (CIMP), inactivation of APC, p53 and DCC genes and K-ras and BRAF mutations in 39 mucinous carcinomas (MC) and 34 non-mucinous carcinomas (NMC) of the colorectum with different microsatellite instability (MSI) status. The higher incidence of MSI (36% vs. 18%) was observed in MC compared with NMC. APC inactivation and K-ras mutations occurred more frequently in NMC (APC, 88%, p<0.001; K-ras, 58%, p=0.01) than in MC (APC, 24%; K-ras, 28%) regardless of MSI status. BRAF mutation occurred at a higher frequency in MC (18%, p=0.01) than in NMC (0%). However, with respect to inactivation of p53 and DCC, MSI status did matter and in both NMC and MC, more frequent inactivation of p53 and DCC was observed in MSS tumors than in MSI tumors. MSS tumors of NMC had a higher frequency of p53 (58% by IHC, p=0.03 and 83% by LOH, p=0.02) and DCC inactivation (83%, p=0.02) compared to MSI tumors of NMC (p53, 33% by IHC and 20% by LOH; DCC, 20%). MSS tumors of MC also showed a higher frequency of p53 and DCC inactivation (p53, 45% by IHC, p=0.02 and 53% by LOH, p=0.005; DCC, 82%, p=0.001) compared to MSI tumors of MC (p53, 0% by IHC and 0% for LOH; DCC, 17%). MC showed a higher frequency of CIMP compared with NMC (41% vs. 11%, p=0.01). These results indicate that mucinous carcinomas of the colorectum exhibit distinct molecular genetic characteristics and may arise from distinct pathogenic pathways.

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