Syndecans are a four-member family of transmembrane heparan sulphate
proteoglycans that have different functions in cell signalling, adhesion, cytoskeleton organization, migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis. Several studies investigated the role of
syndecan-2 (SDC2) in different
carcinomas; however, only one being focused on SDC2 in
prostate cancer. SDC2 expression and relationship with established prognostic features were assessed in a cohort of 86 patients treated with radical
prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate
adenocarcinoma. SDC2 expression was present in the majority of
prostate cancers and absent in only 11.6% of cases. SDC2 expression was also recorded in cells of
prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, whereas normal prostatic epithelial tissue and stroma did not express SDC2. SDC2 overexpression in
prostate cancer was significantly associated with established features indicative of worse prognosis such as higher preoperative PSA (P=0.011), higher Gleason score (P<0.001),
positive surgical margins (P<0.003), and extraprostatic extension of disease (P<0.003). Moreover, expression of SDC2 was also associated with biochemical
disease progression on univariate analysis (P<0.001). Study results supported the potential role of SDC2 in prostatic
carcinogenesis and
cancer progression. Moreover, SDC2 could serve as an additional prognostic marker that might help in further stratifying the risk of
disease progression in patients with
prostate cancer.