[Usefulness of galectin-3 expression in the clinical behavior of differentiated thyroid carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to quantify the galectin-3 (gal-3) expression in differentiated thyroid carcinoma and study its relation with the clinical behavior of these tumors.


METHODS
We investigated the immunohistochemical reaction of gal-3 in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) and performed a retrospective study in order to find correlations with clinical features. Gal-3 expression was studied in 53 differentiated tyroid carcinomas (42 PTC and 11 FTC), and was related with clinical features: metastases, extrathyroid invasion and initial stage in the diagnosis and persistence disease and relapses in the follow up.


RESULTS
Gal-3 expression positivity in PTC had a median of 60% (percentil 25 [p25], 17.5%; percentil 75 [p75], 100%), and was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) than in FTC (median, 0%; p25, 0%; p75, 15%). In PTC, gal-3 expression was significantly higher in advanced stages at the time of initial diagnosis (p = 0.014), persistent disease (p = 0.012) and relapses (p = 0.012) during the follow up. We did not find any significant association between gal-3 expression and clinical features of FTC.


CONCLUSIONS
Gal-3 is a negative prognosis marker in PTC but not in FTC.
López Mondéjar
Pedro
P
Unidad de Endocrinología, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Elche, Alicante, España. lopez_pedmon@gva.es
Picó
Antonio
A
Seguí
Javier
J
López Maciá
Alicia
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*
D037502:Galectin 3