title: The multifaceted role of podoplanin expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: The role of podoplanin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not clear yet. The aim of our study was to evaluate the expression of podoplanin in HCC and to determine its role in hepatocarcinogenesis. We performed immunohistochemistry with monoclonal D2-40 antibody, on paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 72 patients diagnosed with HCC. Lymphatic vessels density (LVD) was increased in patients who had vascular invasion at the time of diagnosis (P=0.018) and in those with associated cirrhosis (P=0.006). Tumor cells showing podoplanin expression were correlated with histological grade (P=0.040). Podoplanin-expressing cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were correlated with both LVD (P=0.019) and tumor cells (P=0.015). Our results sustain the dual role of podoplanin in HCC by its involvement in both HCC tumorigenesis, lymphatic neovascularization and tumor invasion invasiveness. A possible crosstalk between epithelial and stromal tumor cells in HCC tumor microenvironment may be mediated by podoplanin, but this hypothesis needs further studies to elucidate this interrelation.
authors.affiliation: "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Pathology. cioca_andre@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Andreea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cioca
authors.forename: Amalia R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ceausu
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raica
authors.forename: Anca M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cimpean
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000098853:Podoplanin
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C117468:PDPN protein, human; D000098853:Podoplanin