Overexpression of podoplanin in oral cancer and its association with poor clinical outcome.
BACKGROUND
Podoplanin is a mucin-like glycoprotein that is important in lymphangiogenesis but not blood vessel formation. Recent studies suggested a potential role of podoplanin in certain tumor cells. The purpose of the current study was to determine the role of podoplanin in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).


METHODS
Podoplanin expression was analyzed in 35 patients with HNSCC including 16 oral tumors and 19 hypopharyngeal tumors by immunohistochemical analysis and the association between the podoplanin expression status and patients' clinical and pathologic characteristics was evaluated. An independent set of 60 patients with oral tongue cancer was then analyzed for associations between the podoplanin expression status and patients' clinical and pathologic characteristics, including survivals.


RESULTS
Podoplanin was not expressed in normal oral epithelial cells but was detected in some hyperplastic and dysplastic lesions. High podoplanin expression was found in 20 (57%) of the 35 tumors and was more frequent in tumors with lymph node metastasis, particularly for tumors in the oral cavity. In the second set of 60 oral tongue cancers, 36 (60%) expressed high levels of podoplanin. Patients whose tumors expressed high levels of podoplanin had a statistically significantly higher rate of lymph node metastasis (P < .0001). Patients with lymph node metastasis and high-level podoplanin showed the shortest disease-specific survival (P = .0004) than other patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Podoplanin is involved in oral tumorigenesis and may serve as a predictor for lymph node metastasis and poor clinical outcome.
Yuan
Ping
P
Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Temam
Stephane
S
El-Naggar
Adel
A
Zhou
Xian
X
Liu
Diane D
DD
Lee
J Jack
JJ
Mao
Li
L
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018579:Patient Selection; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000098853:Podoplanin
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C117468:PDPN protein, human; D000098853:Podoplanin