title: Decreased galectin-1 immunoreactivity of the skin in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease involving motor neurons. In addition to motor neuron signs and symptoms, a lack of bedsores has been considered a feature of ALS. Recently, we revealed that galectin-1 is a component of the axonal spheroid, which is an early pathological change of the spinal cord in ALS. To investigate whether galectin-1 is associated with skin changes in ALS, we performed an immunohistochemical investigation using anti-galectin-1 antibodies. The present study revealed that galectin-1 immunoreactivity is reduced in the skin of patients with ALS, suggesting that cutaneous galectin-1 is involved in the pathological process of ALS.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Yamagata University School of Medicine, 2-2-2 Iida-Nishi, Japan. mwada@yacht.ocn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Seiitsu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kadoya
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawanami
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurita
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D037483:Galectin 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D037483:Galectin 1