Podoplanin: a novel diagnostic immunohistochemical marker

Podoplanin is a transmembrane mucoprotein recognized by the recently commercially available D2-40 monoclonal antibody. Recent investigations have shown that podoplanin is selectively expressed in lymphatic endothelium as well as lymphangiomas, Kaposi sarcomas, and in a subset of angiosarcomas with probable lymphatic differentiation. Podoplanin has also been shown to be strongly expressed in seminomas, epithelioid mesotheliomas, and hemangioblastomas, and immunostaining for this marker can assist in the diagnosis of these tumors. This article reviews the current information on the applications of podoplanin immunostaining in surgical pathology.