In the intestinal cancer cell line LS180, the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 triggered the expression of MUC2, MUC5B, and MUC6 genes, and promoted their secretion, whereas IL-1 or tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) activated the expression of MUC2 and MUC5AC genes, and alteration of mucus layers was induced by these differentially expressed cytokines (Enss et al., 2000). Here, MUC5B is linked to intestinal cancer.