Podoplanin serum and urine concentration in transitional bladder cancer

BACKGROUND: Podoplanin (PDP) is a mucin - a type of transmembrane protein expressed in numerous tissues during ontogeny and in adult animals, including the brain, heart, kidney, osteoblasts and lymphoid organs. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine podoplanin concentration in the blood serum and urine of patients with bladder cancer. Quantifying podoplanin concentration and its correlation with various clinicopathological parameters may be useful for more accurate predictions and identifying high-risk patients. METHODS: The present study included 82 patients with bladder cancer confirmed by transurethral resection or cystectomy and 27 healthy volunteers. The Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging biosensor was applied for the detection of podoplanin in the serum and urine samples. RESULTS: Significant differences in serum and urine podoplanin concentration levels were observed between bladder cancer patients. The statistically significant higher values of PDP were detected in serum of patients with invasive, more aggressive, larger, multifocal tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The association between podoplanin concentration and clinicopathological features indicates that it might be useful while making therapeutic decisions.