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.
Konstantinov
K N
KN
Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Robbins
B A
BA
Liu
F T
FT
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