To investigate the role of MUC1 in hepatolithiasis associated with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Ninety cases biopsies of hepatectomies performed from August 1989 to June 2009 in the second affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen university were stained immunohistochemically for MUC1. Among them 33 cases with hepatolithiasis associated with intraheptic cholangiocarcinoma were experimental group, 32 cases with hepatolithiasis were control group and 25 cases of normal intrahepatic bile ducts were taken 1-2 cm distal to benign hepatic neoplasm as blank group. The immunohistochemical staining of MUC1 were performed by tissues slice.

MUC1 positive rate were 54.5%(18/33), 28.1%(9/32) and 0(0/25) in experimental group, control group and blank group respectively, P<0.01. The positive rates were significantly different in experimental group among histopathologic classification(P<0.05) and whether with lymph node metastasis or not(P<0.01). The accumulated survival rate was lower in MUC1 expressed tumor patients than that in MUC1 non-expressed tumor patients, P<0.01.

MUC1 probably plays an important role during intrahepatic cholangiocarcinogenesis. High level expression of MUC1 is related with malignancy of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and with worse prognosis.