Acid mucins in human intestinal goblet cells.

Acid mucins in goblet cells of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum of 
neonates and infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) and without CF were 
measured by scanning microdensitometry after alcian blue staining according to the 
protocol of McCarthy and Reid (1963) which characterises four groups of 
acidic mucins. In CF infants over 6 mth of age, but 
not in controls, there was an increase along the gut from 
duodenum to ileum of both weakly acidic and strongly acidic sulphomucins. 
In the ileum the increase was in total mucins from 6 
mth previously in the same CF patients and this difference could 
be accounted for by an increase of sialidase-resistant mucins. The increase 
in sulphomucins was more marked at the tip than at the 
base of the villi. In CF neonates there was significant difference 
in the quantities of acidic mucins. The question whether the mucins 
of CF are chemically abnormal or merely accumulated to an abnormal 
extent is probably best investigated by analysis of sialidase-resistant mucins and 
sulphomucins of the ileum and strongly acidic sulphomucins of the duodenum 
and jejunum in CF infants over 6 mth of age. 