title: Galectin-3 labeling correlates positively in tumor cells and negatively in endothelial cells with malignancy and poor prognosis in oligodendroglioma patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Galectin-3 modulates cell growth, transformation and metastasis in a wide range of neoplasms.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed galectin-3 expression in a total of 69 oligodendroglioma tissue samples by immunocytochemistry double labeling and RT-PCR experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Galectin-3 expression was observed in oligodendrocytes, endothelial cells and macrophages/microglial cells in areas of solid tumor growth. Significantly fewer galectin-3+ oligodendroglioma cells and macrophages/microglial cells were detected in WHO grade II oligodendrogliomas than in their matched relapses and in WHO grade III anaplastic oligodendrogliomas. Inversely, significantly more galectin-3+ endothelial cells were detected in WHO grade II oligodendrogliomas than in their matched relapses and in WHO grade III anaplastic oligodendrogliomas. Patients with low endothelial galectin-3 labeling scores in primary oligodendrogliomas and anaplastic oligodendrogliomas had significantly shorter time to progression and overall survival than patients with high endothelial galectin-3 labeling scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude from these data that the cell-type specific expression of galectin-3 is differentially involved in oligodendroglioma pathology.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain Research, University of Tuebingen, Medical School Tuebingen, Germany. martin.deininger@uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Martin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Deininger
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Trautmann
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meyermann
authors.forename: Hermann J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schluesener
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004727:Endothelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009837:Oligodendroglioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D037502:Galectin 3