title: Galectin fingerprinting in tumor diagnosis. Differential expression of galectin-3 and galectin-3 binding sites, but not galectin-1, in benign vs malignant uterine smooth muscle tumors.
abstract: Cell-matrix interactions are governed by a distinct set of proteins, with 2 nonintegrin laminin-binding proteins, galectin-1 and galectin-3, providing 1 aspect. The expression patterns of laminin and the 2 galectins and galectin binding sites were quantitatively determined by means of computer-assisted microscopy with the aim of differentiating between 16 leiomyomas and 10 leiomyosarcomas of the uterus. Three quantitative variables were computed for each of the 5 histochemical markers: labeling index, which describes the percentage of tissue area specifically stained by a given marker; mean optical density which reflects the concentration of the marker; and concentrational heterogeneity, which characterizes the degree of heterogeneity of the marker distribution in the tumor tissue areas. The results reveal evident differences in the galectin-3-related parameters in the 2 tumors groups. Whereas the concentration of galectin-3 binding sites was significantly (P = .01) weaker in the leiomyosarcomas than in the leiomyomas, the percentages of tumor tissue expressing galectin-3 (P = .02) and its binding sites (P = .002) were significantly higher in the leiomyosarcomas than in the leiomyomas. Although significantly (P = .02) higher, the concentration of laminin was more heterogeneously distributed (P = .01) in the leiomyosarcomas than in the leiomyomas. In contrast, the levels of expression of galectin-1 and its accessible binding sites remained similar for both the leiomyomas and the leiomyosarcomas. Finally we document how the levels of expression of galectin-3 and its binding sites can be of assistance in reliably differentiating leiomyomas from leiomyosarcomas.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Remmelink
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Decaestecker
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gielen
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Budel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burchert
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Darro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Danguy
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gabius
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salmon
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers; D005260:Female; D037483:Galectin 1; D037502:Galectin 3; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D015415:Biomarkers; D037483:Galectin 1; D037502:Galectin 3; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D007797:Laminin