TY - JOUR
T1 - Discovery and diagnostic value of a novel oncofetal protein
T2 - Glypican 3
AU - Wang, Sean K.
AU - Zynger, Debra L.
AU - Hes, Ondrej
AU - Yang, Ximing J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Glypican 3 is a membrane-bound heparan sulfate proteoglycan, which has recently been identified as a marker for liver cancer and germ cell malignancies. Individuals with loss-offunction mutations for the glypican 3 gene exhibit Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome, a rare X-linked overgrowth disorder. Expression of glypican 3 mRNA and protein is normally silenced in most adult organs and may reappear during malignant transformation. In the past few years, immunohistochemical and molecular characteristics of glypican 3 in hepatocellular carcinoma have been elucidated. More recently, glypican 3 has been emerging as a new diagnostic marker for germ cell tumors and especially testicular and ovarian yolk sac tumors. However, in other tumors such as renal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and melanomas, studies disagree on the level of glypican 3 expression. Finally, there is the controversial notion of glypican 3 as a tumor suppressor gene. In this review article, we update current knowledge on glypican 3 expression in normal and neoplastic tissues, evaluate its utility as a tumor marker in clinical practice, and explore its role as a novel oncofetal protein with clinical implications. Our focus is on the diagnostic value of glypican 3 in germ cell tumors and other neoplasms in addition to hepatocellular carcinoma. In conclusion, glypican 3 has been proven to be a useful immunohistochemical marker in distinguishing yolk sac tumors,choriocarcinomas, and Wilms tumors from other malignancies histologically mimicking these primitive tumors. Clinically, we recommend that glypican 3 be used as part of a panel of markers in subtyping testicular germ cell tumors.
AB - Glypican 3 is a membrane-bound heparan sulfate proteoglycan, which has recently been identified as a marker for liver cancer and germ cell malignancies. Individuals with loss-offunction mutations for the glypican 3 gene exhibit Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome, a rare X-linked overgrowth disorder. Expression of glypican 3 mRNA and protein is normally silenced in most adult organs and may reappear during malignant transformation. In the past few years, immunohistochemical and molecular characteristics of glypican 3 in hepatocellular carcinoma have been elucidated. More recently, glypican 3 has been emerging as a new diagnostic marker for germ cell tumors and especially testicular and ovarian yolk sac tumors. However, in other tumors such as renal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and melanomas, studies disagree on the level of glypican 3 expression. Finally, there is the controversial notion of glypican 3 as a tumor suppressor gene. In this review article, we update current knowledge on glypican 3 expression in normal and neoplastic tissues, evaluate its utility as a tumor marker in clinical practice, and explore its role as a novel oncofetal protein with clinical implications. Our focus is on the diagnostic value of glypican 3 in germ cell tumors and other neoplasms in addition to hepatocellular carcinoma. In conclusion, glypican 3 has been proven to be a useful immunohistochemical marker in distinguishing yolk sac tumors,choriocarcinomas, and Wilms tumors from other malignancies histologically mimicking these primitive tumors. Clinically, we recommend that glypican 3 be used as part of a panel of markers in subtyping testicular germ cell tumors.
KW - Immunohistochemistry
KW - Oncofetal protein
KW - Testicular cancer
KW - Yolk sac tumor
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U2 - 10.1097/PAP.0000000000000043
DO - 10.1097/PAP.0000000000000043
M3 - Review article
C2 - 25299314
AN - SCOPUS:84914166518
SN - 1072-4109
VL - 21
SP - 450
EP - 460
JO - Advances in anatomic pathology
JF - Advances in anatomic pathology
IS - 6
ER -