Mucin1 (MUCI) is a class of high molecular weight glycoproteins found in the cell membranes of human epithelial cells. Epithelial glycoprotein 40 (EGP40) is a homophilic cell-cell adhesion molecule and expressed on the surface of most simple epithelial cells and the majority of carcinomas. We analyzed the expression of MUC1 and EGP40 in human bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunocytochemistry (ICC). Eight BM and 95 PB samples from healthy donors, 39 BM and 17 PB samples from patients with haematological malignancies and 45 BM samples from patients with breast cancer were analyzed. MUC1 mRNA and EGP40 mRNA and protein were detected in BM samples and PB samples from healthy donors and from patients with multiple myeloma (MM), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML). The positive cells showed erythroblast-like and plasmacell-like morphology by immunocytochemistry. The MUC1 and EGP40 nested PCR were positive in 83.3% (10/12) and in 100% (33/33) respectively of BM from patiens with breast cancer who had no evidence of distant metastases. It is concluded that MUC1 and EGP40 is expressed in haematopoietic tissues and haematological malignancies. Therefore, MUC1 and EGP40 expression as a marker for detection of breast cancer cells and micrometastatic epithelial cells in BM and PB is not specific using RT-PCR technique and immunocytochemistry.