Description
Podoplanin, also known as glycoprotein 36 (gp36), PA2.26 antigen, T1-alpha (T1A), and aggrus, is a 36 kDa type I transmembrane sialoglycoprotein and member of the Podoplanin family.PDPN is a mucin-type glycoprotein negatively charged by extensive O-glycosylation and a high content of sialic acid, which expresses the adhesive property. It is selectively expressed in lymphatic endothelium as well as lymphangiomas, Kaposi sarcomas, and in a subset of angiosarcomas with probable lymphatic differentiation. PDPN may contribute to form odontoblastic fiber or function as the anchorage to the tooth development and in proliferating epithelial cells of cervical loop and apical bud. The intensity of podoplanin expression is negatively correlated with the expression of CD34 and factor VIII. Podoplanin would be useful as a diagnostic marker for epithelioid hemangioendothelioma in liver tumors.