title: Galectin-9, a novel prognostic factor with antimetastatic potential in breast cancer.
abstract: Galectin-9, a member of the beta-galactoside-binding animal lectin family, is involved in various cellular biological events, including aggregation and apoptosis, adhesion of cancer cells, and dendritic cell maturation. We recently reported the relationship between galectin-9 expression in tumor tissue and distant metastasis in breast cancer. Tumors in 42 of the 84 patients were galectin-9-positive, and tumors in 19 of the 21 patients with distant metastasis were galectin-9-negative, assessed by immunohistochemistry. The cumulative distant metastasis-free survival ratio for galectin-9-positive patients was better than for the galectin-9-negative group (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that galectin-9 status influenced distant metastasis independent of and much more than lymph node metastasis. MCF-7 subclones with a high level of galectin-9 expression formed tight clusters during proliferation in vitro, whereas a subclone (K10) with the lowest level of galectin-9 expression did not. However, K10 cells stably transfected with a galectin-9 expression vector aggregated in nude mice as well as in culture. Ectopic expression of galectin-9 also reduced MCF-7 cell adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Regulation, School of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kita-gun, Kagawa, Japan. yamauchi@kms.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kontani
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.forename: Nozomu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokomise
authors.forename: Mitsuomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirashima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D037161:Galectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037161:Galectins