title: Galectin-3 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between galectin-3 and cell proliferation in thyroid tumor tissue. Galectin-3, a beta-galactoside binding protein, has recently been recognized as a promising molecular marker of thyroid malignancy, due to its high expression in thyroid carcinomas and absence from normal or benign thyroid tissue. However, its exact role in thyroid tumor biology is still unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the relationship between galectin-3 and cell proliferation by comparative immunostaining for galectin-3 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in paraffin-embedded tissues from 126 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive cytoplasmic immunostaining for galectin-3 was found in 115 (91.3%) cases. Nuclear staining for PCNA was detectable in 93 (74.4%) cases. A low level of PCNA staining (less than 10% positive cells) was found in 36 (28.6%) cases, moderate staining for PCNA (more than 10% but less than 30% positive cells) in 35 cases (27.8%), while highly increased PCNA expression (more than 30% positive cells) was found in 32 (25.4%) cases. Moderate or strong galectin-3 expression, found in 99 cases, was associated with highly increased PCNA staining in 28.3% of them but with no detectable PCNA expression in 24.3% of them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that overexpression of galectin-3 is not clearly related to proliferative activity of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells as assessed by PCNA immunostaining.
authors.affiliation: Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy - INEP, Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. dubravka@inep.co.yu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cvejic
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savin
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petrovic
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Selemetjev
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Paunovic
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tatic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Havelka
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037502:Galectin 3; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen