title: Clinicopathology significance of podoplanin immunoreactivity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Podoplanin (D2-40) is a specific marker for lymphatic endothelium. The vast majority of previous studies on podoplanin immunostaining in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) focused on identifying lymphatic vessel invasion (LVI) and counting lymphatic vessel density (LVD) and had contradictory results. Recent studies show podoplanin expression on cancer cells or tumor stroma in several cancers, which have specific significance; but the status in ESCC remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to further study and summarize the clinicopathological significance of podoplanin immunoreactivity in ESCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined podoplanin expression in tissue specimens from 107 patients with ESCC by immunohistochemistry. Podoplanin positive lymphatic vessels in intratumoral and peritumoral tissues and podoplanin positive expression in cancer cells and tumor stroma were analyzed, and correlated with clinicopathologic parameters and three-year overall and free-disease survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  34 (31.8%) and 28 (26.2%) of 107 specimens had podoplanin positive expression in cancer cells and tumor stroma, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed high intratumoral lymphatic vessel density (I-LVD) and podoplanin positivity in cancer cells were increased risks of lymph node metastasis (LNM) (OR=2.45, P=0.03; OR=0.35, P=0.01, respectively). Survival analysis showed that I-LVD was a significant factor related to poor three-year overall and free-disease survival (P=0.04, P=0.03, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Previous data and our results show that podoplanin seems to be a useful marker to predict LNM, recurrence, and worse prognosis in ESCC; in particular, LVI, high I-LVD, and podoplanin positivity in cancer cells are associated with LNM, recurrence and overall survival.
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University Jinan, China ; Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University Yinchuan, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Oncology, Wendeng Central Hospital Weihai, China.
authors: Kai
authors: K
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Digestive Disease, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University Yinchuan, China.
authors: Shaoqi
authors: S
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University Jinan, China.
authors: Jianbo
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University Jinan, China.
authors: Bingxu
authors: B
authors: Tan
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University Jinan, China.
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Bai
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University Jinan, China.
authors: Nana
authors: N
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University Jinan, China.
authors: Yibin
authors: Y
authors: Jia
authors: Department of Pathology, Medical College of Shandong University Jinan, Shandong, China.
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Jia
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University Jinan, China.
authors: Yufeng
authors: Y
authors: Cheng
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001706:Biopsy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016015:Logistic Models; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D000098853:Podoplanin
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C117468:PDPN protein, human; D000098853:Podoplanin
keywords: Podoplanin; esophagus; immunohistochemistry; squamous cell carcinoma