Abstract
Heparanase, an endoglycosidase that cleaves heparan sulphate, is frequently expressed in carcinomas and was suggested to play a role in cell invasion and metastasis. We investigated whether heparanase expression may serve as a reliable marker to discriminate benign mesothelial cells from malignant cells shed into body cavities. Cytological smears of effusions from 51 hospitalized patients were immunostained for heparanase. Strong immunoreactivity was noted in 35 of 40 (88%) carcinoma samples and in all three malignant mesothelioma cases. Only rare (<3%) reactive mesothelial cells were noted showing a faint negligible staining. Specificity was 100%, sensitivity 88%, and positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 89% respectively. Our results suggest that heparanase may be of value as a complementary component in a diagnostic panel of markers, contributing to its reliability and accuracy.
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