title: Overexpression of Galectin-3 and its clinical significance in ovarian carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a β-galactoside-binding lectin involved in regulating cell growth, angiogenesis, and tumor progression. We investigated the clinical significance of Gal-3 expression including its possible use as a prognostic marker or therapeutic target in epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Gal-3 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 71 patients with 54 serous, 13 endometrioid, and 4 mucinous ovarian carcinomas. We assessed the correlation of Gal-3 expression with clinical characteristics including histology, optimal debulking, chemosensitivity, and survival. In vitro, Gal-3 was inhibited using siRNA to evaluate its role in cell growth and sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents in ovarian carcinoma cell lines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gal-3 protein, which was mainly cytoplasmic in location, was observed in a majority (63/71, 88.7%) of the EOCs but not in normal ovarian tissues (P < 0.001). High Gal-3 expression in EOCs correlated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS) of patients (P = 0.039; 43.1 and 49.5 months, respectively). Moreover, cotreatment with Gal-3 siRNA and paclitaxel showed an enhanced cytotoxic effect compared with control siRNA in SKOV3 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that Gal-3 expression can be a prognostic factor for PFS and may be involved in regulating the response to paclitaxel-based chemotherapy in the treatment of EOC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 135-710, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Kyu
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang Ohk
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: In-Gu
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Hye-Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Tae Jong
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hwang Shin
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yoo-Young
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Byoung-Gie
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeong-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Duk-Soo
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering
chemical_list: D037502:Galectin 3; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering