Introduction: Podoplanin is a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed in endothelial lymphatic cells. It was proven to be a predictive marker in a variety of cancers e.g. mesothelioma and head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma. Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is a rare and unique histopathologic subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The molecular basis of that phenomenon remains unknown.
Objectives: The aim of our study was to assess podoplanin expression on the protein level in OCCC.
Material and methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin-embedded tissues from 19 patients with diagnosed OCCC.
Results: Podoplanin expression was present (moderate or strong) in 52% of OCCC cases (10/19). Nine of eleven (81.2%) postmenopausal and one of eight (12.5%) premenopausal women were podoplanin positive. No differences in podoplanin expression were found in relation to clinical features of the tumor
Conclusion: The incidence of podoplanin expression is higher in ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma in postmenopausal patients.