title: Galectin-3 expression is a potent prognostic marker in colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Galectin-3 is a beta-galactoside-binding protein whose expression has been correlated with progression and metastasis in colon cancer. It is expressed at elevated levels in a variety of neoplastic cells. The current study was designed to investigate, by clinicopathological analysis, the relationship between prognosis and galectin-3 expression, in colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Galectin-3 expression was evaluated using immunohistochemical staining in 121 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer. The relationship between galectin-3 expression and clinicopathological factors was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Galectin-3-positive expression was detected in 79 patients (65%). The incidence of lymph node and distant metastasis in galectin 3-positive cancer was significantly higher than that in galectin-3-negative cases (p = 0.0007 and p = 0.014, respectively). Furthermore, cancers with galectin-3-positive expression revealed frequent venous invasion (p = 0.005) and lymphatic permeation (p = 0.041), larger size (p = 0.016) and deeper invasion to wall(p = 0.01) than in galectin-3-negative cases. While univariate analysis showed that survival in patients with galectin-3-positive expression was significantly poorer than in galectin-3-negative cases (p = 0.0027), galectin-3 expression was a prognostic factor independent of Dukes' stage and lymph node metastasis by multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose that galectin-3 expression is an independent factor for prognosis in colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Fukuoka Dental College Hospital, Japan. kendo@munakata-med-hp.gr.jp
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kohnoe
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsujita
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maehara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037502:Galectin 3