Endosialin expression in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with a more aggressive tumor phenotyp

Aims: There is complete evidence for tumor vasculature to exhibit a differential expression pattern that may be suitable for therapy and diagnosis. We have recently identified Endosialin, a myofibroblastic marker, to be overexpressed around tumor vessels of human HCC. Now we aimed to analyze the association of Endosialin expression with clinicopathological data. Methods: 20 fresh-frozen HCC samples were analyzed for Endosialin mRNA expression using quantitative real-time PCR and for protein expression using a semiquantitative immunohistological approach. Results: Using immunohistochemistry Endosialin was detecte…