title: Concentrations of galectin-3 in the sera of normal controls and cancer patients.
abstract: Galectin-3, a member of the beta-galactoside-binding animal lectins, has been implicated in tumor invasion and metastasis. Using an immunoligand assay, we assessed the circulating levels of galectin-3 in sera from cancer patients as well as from healthy controls. Low serum levels of galectin-3 were detected in healthy individuals (median, 62 ng/ml; range, 20-313 ng/ml; 95th percentile, 184.3 ng/ml). Compared with healthy individuals, galectin-3 serum levels in patients with breast, gastrointestinal, lung, or ovarian cancer, melanoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were significantly elevated (P = 0.014). Moreover, galectin-3 concentrations in sera from patients with metastatic disease were higher than in sera from patients with localized tumors. Maximum serum concentrations of galectin-3 (median, 320 ng/ml; range, 20-950 ng/ml) were found in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal carcinoma. These results suggest that circulating galectin-3 may play a role in tumor progression. The possibility of using this assay in early-stage cancer to predict metastasis should be studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Neurosciences, University G. D'Annunzio Medical School, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iurisci
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tinari
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Natoli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Angelucci
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cianchetti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iacobelli
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000378:metabolism; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D037502:Galectin 3; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008024:Ligands; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D011485:Protein Binding; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D037502:Galectin 3; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008024:Ligands; C081856:LGALS3BP protein, human; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins