Galectin-3, a beta-galactoside-binding animal lectin, is a marker of anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.
Galectin-3 is a member of a newly named family of beta-galactoside-binding animal lectins, which has been described with a number of possible important biological functions, including the regulation of cell growth and association with tumor transformation. This protein has a wide tissue distribution but is notably not expressed by normal lymphocytes. We have previously shown that galectin-3 is markedly up-regulated in HTLV-I-infected T cells, most likely mediated by the viral transactivating protein Tax. In this study, we surveyed various lymphomas by immunohistochemistry and found the expression of galectin-3 in all of the 8 cases of Ki-1+ anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL). Immunoreactivity for galectin-3 was found in a majority of the neoplastic cells in the ALCLs studied. In contrast, only 2 of the 35 cases of other types of lymphoma, including various Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, were positive. Unlike the cases of ALCL, immunoreactivity for galectin-3 in these 3 cases was found only sporadically in a small number of neoplastic cells. Thus, galectin-3 may prove to be a useful marker for ALCL and its expression in neoplastic cells in ALCL may contribute to the biological behavior of this specific type of lymphoma.
Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
K N
KN
Konstantinov
B A
BA
Robbins
F T
FT
Liu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3; D006801:Humans; D017728:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037502:Galectin 3