Galectin-3 in urine of cancer patients: stage and tissue specificity.
OBJECTIVE
Galectin-3 has been implicated in advanced stage of cancer disease. In the current study we examined the possibility of urinary galectin-3 levels to stage cancer disease and to follow up therapy.


METHODS
Urine was collected from all types of cancer patients at different stages including patients undergoing radio/chemotherapy. Galectin-3 level was determined by anti-galectin-3 based ELISA and agglutination assays. Immunoblotting and purification on lactosyl affinity column further confirmed the presence of galectin-3.


RESULTS
Cancer samples exhibited stage dependent expression of galectin-3 approx. ranging from 1.0 to 3.3, 4.4 to 5.4, 5.4 to 24.7, 13.1 to 31.9, 13.9 to 32.9 ng/mg C (creatinine) for stage I-V, respectively, at P approximately <0.05 level. Galectin-3 levels were decreased by approx. threefolds after 5th day of therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Sample collection being simple and non-invasive, urinary galectin-3 may be used as a potential diagnostic tool for monitoring or follow up of the stage of cancer disease.
Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, 570020, India.
Kiruthika
K
Balasubramanian
Raghavendra
R
Vasudevamurthy
Sathisha Upparahalli
SU
Venkateshaiah
Anil
A
Thomas
A
A
Vishweshwara
Shylaja Mallaiah
SM
Dharmesh
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000652:urine*; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000652:urine*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine
D037502:Galectin 3