CD138 (syndecan-1) expression in health and disease
Marina Palaiologou1, Ioanna Delladetsima2 and Dina Tiniakos1,3
1Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, 21st Department of Pathology Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece and 3Institute of Cellular Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Offprint requests to: Dina G. Tiniakos, MD, Ph D, Clinical Senior Lecturer/Hon. Consultant Histopathologist, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Facuty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, William Leech Building, 3rd Floor, Rom M3-901, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2, 4HH, UK. e-mail: dina.tiniakos@ncl.ac.uk
Summary. CD138 (syndecan-1, Sdc-1) is a member of the syndecan family that comprises heparan sulfate proteoglycans. CD138 is significant for cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. In adult human tissues, CD138 is predominantly expressed in epithelial cells and plasmacytes. CD138 immunoexpression is altered in a wide spectrum of benign inflammatory, infectious and fibrotic diseases (colitis, allergic contact dermatitis, fibrosis of various organs, etc) and diabetes mellitus type II. Furthermore, CD138 is involved in molecular pathways that are deregulated during carcinogenesis and are related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, tumour invasion and metastasis. CD138 tumour cell and stromal immunoexpression is modified in various types of cancer, and is frequently correlated with clinico-pathological parameters and patients’ prognosis. The soluble form of CD138 may be used as a prognostic serum biomarker with promising results in respiratory tract carcinomas. CD138 plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis and is an attractive target for anticancer treatment with heparanase inhibitors and anti-CD138 antibodies for immunotherapy. Histol Histopathol 29, 177-189 (2014)
Key words: CD138, Syndecan-1, Carcinoma, Metastasis, Prognosis
DOI: 10.14670/HH-29.177