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Podoplanin expression in primary central nervous system germ cell tumors: a useful histological marker for the diagnosis of germinoma

Acta Neuropathologica volume 111, pages 563–568 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Podoplanin, a mucin-like transmembrane sialoglycoprotein, promotes platelet aggregation and may be involved in cancer cell migration, invasion, metastasis, and malignant progression. Podoplanin/aggrus is highly expressed in testicular seminoma, suggesting that it may be a sensitive marker for testicular seminomas. Here we investigated the expression of podoplanin in central nervous system (CNS) germ cell tumors (GCTs) by immunohistochemical staining of tumor samples from 62 patients. In 40 of 41 (98%) germinomas (including germinomatous components in mixed GCTs), podoplanin was diffusely expressed on the surface of germinoma cells; lymphocytes, interstitial cells, and syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells were negative for podoplanin. Except for immature teratomas (12/17; 71%), podoplanin expression was absent in non-germinomatous GCTs, including seven teratomas, seven embryonal carcinomas, seven yolk sac tumors, and seven choriocarcinomas. In immature teratomas, focal podoplanin staining was observed in fewer than 10% of immature squamous and columnar epithelial cells. Thus, podoplanin expression may be a sensitive immunohistochemical marker for germinoma in CNS GCTs. As such, it may be useful for diagnosis, for monitoring the efficacy of treatment, and as a potential target for antibody-based therapy.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Kanae Foundation for Life and Socio-medical science (to Y. K.). We thank Drs. S. Takano (University of Tsukuba), J. Takahashi (University of Kyoto), and M. Nagane (Kyorin University) for providing GCTs samples.

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Affiliations

  1. Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, 113-0032, Tokyo, Japan

    Yukinari Kato, Youya Nakazawa, Akiko Kunita, Naoya Fujita & Takashi Tsuruo

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Saitama Medical School, 38 Morohongo, Moroyama-machi, Iruma-gun, 350-0495, Saitama, Japan

    Kazuhiko Mishima, Ryo Nishikawa & Masao Matsutani

  3. Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience, 2-6, Musashidai, Fuchu, 183-8526, Tokyo, Japan

    Mika K. Kaneko

  4. Cancer Chemotherapy Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6, Ariake, Koto-Ku, 135-8550, Tokyo, Japan

    Takashi Tsuruo

  5. Department of Pathology, Saitama Medical School, 38 Morohongo, Moroyama-machi, Iruma-gun, 350-0495, Saitama, Japan

    Takanori Hirose

Authors
  1. Kazuhiko Mishima
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  2. Yukinari Kato
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  3. Mika K. Kaneko
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  4. Youya Nakazawa
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  5. Akiko Kunita
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  6. Naoya Fujita
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  7. Takashi Tsuruo
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  8. Ryo Nishikawa
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  9. Takanori Hirose
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  10. Masao Matsutani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yukinari Kato.

Additional information

Kazuhiko Mishima and Yukinari Kato contributed equally to this work.

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Mishima, K., Kato, Y., Kaneko, M.K. et al. Podoplanin expression in primary central nervous system germ cell tumors: a useful histological marker for the diagnosis of germinoma. Acta Neuropathol 111, 563–568 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-006-0033-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-006-0033-4

Keywords

  • Podoplanin
  • Germinoma
  • Germ cell tumor
  • YM-1
  • Tumor marker