The expression of MUC5AC in early gastric carcinoma of the present series, regardless of the histological type of the tumors, contrasts with the decreased level expression of MUC5AC immunoreactivity in almost half of the advanced carcinomas which suggest that all gastric carcinomas retain at least some cells with a gastric phenotype during the first steps of neoplastic development (26). The gene discussed is MUC5AC; the disease is gastric carcinoma.