Refined prognostic evaluation in colon carcinoma using immunohistochemical galectin fingerprinting.
BACKGROUND
Knowledge of the expression of the galectins in human colon carcinomas is mainly restricted to galectin-3 and, to a lesser extent, galectin-1. The current study analyzed the prognostic values contributed by galectin-1, galectin-3, galectin-4, and galectin-8 in cases of colon carcinoma.


METHODS
The authors selected 55 colon carcinomas (including 10 Dukes A, 16 Dukes B, 15 Dukes C, and 14 metastatic tumors that the authors labeled "Stage D"). The immunohistochemical levels of expression of the four galectins were determined quantitatively by means of computer-assisted microscopy.


RESULTS
The data from the current study indicate that the four galectins under study are associated with significant and separate prognostic values that depend on the Dukes stage of the colon tumor. In particular, the authors observed a significant prognostic value associated with galectins-1, -3, and -4 in Dukes A and B colon tumors. In addition, significant prognostic value also was associated with galectin-8 in Dukes C and D colon tumors. The prognostic values associated with the levels of expression of galectin-1 and galectin-4 in Dukes A and B tumors appear to be independent of the Dukes stage. The same feature was observed when galectin-4 and galectin-8 were analyzed in the complete series.


CONCLUSIONS
The data from the current study strongly suggest that galectins-1, -3, and -4 may be involved in the early stages of human colon carcinoma development and that galectin-8 is involved in the later stages.
Nagy
Nathalie
N
Laboratory of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires de Bruxelles, Hôpital Erasme, Brussels, Belgium.
Legendre
Hugues
H
Engels
Olivier
O
André
Sabine
S
Kaltner
Herbert
H
Wasano
Kojiro
K
Zick
Yehiel
Y
Pector
Jean-Claude
JC
Decaestecker
Christine
C
Gabius
Hans-Joachim
HJ
Salmon
Isabelle
I
Kiss
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D037161:Galectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037161:Galectins