Involvement of galectin-3 expression in colorectal cancer progression and metastasis.
Galectin-3 is a beta-galactoside-specific lectin that binds to laminin sugar-sites and is involved in tumor malignancy. Galectin-3 expression in relation to primary tumor and liver metastasis of colorectal cancer was examined to determined its involvement in cancer progression and metastasis. Immunohistochemical staining of galectin-3 was performed on 117 primary lesions and 15 liver metastases of colorectal cancer using TIB166 monoclonal antibody. The expression of galectin-3 was evaluated by grading the intensity of the staining as either negative, weakly positive, or strongly positive. Normal mucosa of all patients were strongly positive for galectin-3, but the staining in these tissues was still significantly less than in the primary lesions of the cancer (31.6%). Galectin-3 expression in the primary lesions was significantly increased, correlating with the progression of clinical stage (p=0. 0224), liver metastasis (p<0.0001), venous invasion (p=0.0048), and lymph node metastasis (p=0.0289). Liver metastatic lesions also showed up-regulated levels of galectin-3 compared to the primary lesions (p=0.0030). The group showing strongly positive galectin-3 had a significantly poorer prognosis than the negative/weakly positive group in terms of disease-free survival (p=0.0224). The strong expression of galectin-3 in colorectal cancer correlates with cancer progression, liver metastasis, and poor prognosis for patients.
Nakamura
M
M
The First Department of Surgery, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka 589-8511, Japan.
Inufusa
H
H
Adachi
T
T
Aga
M
M
Kurimoto
M
M
Nakatani
Y
Y
Wakano
T
T
Nakajima
A
A
Hida
J I
JI
Miyake
M
M
Shindo
K
K
Yasutomi
M
M
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D037502:Galectin 3; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D015993:Life Tables; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D037502:Galectin 3; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins