title: Quantitative immunohistochemical fingerprinting of adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins in salivary gland tumours: divergent profiles with diagnostic potential.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study tests the hypothesis that histopathological fingerprinting of galectins, which are emerging multifunctional effectors in cell sociology, could refine the differential diagnosis of salivary tumours.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We applied non-crossreactive polyclonal antibodies against galectin-1 (Gal-1), galectin-3 (Gal-3), galectin-7 (Gal-7) and galectin-8 (Gal-8) for immunohistochemical analysis of salivary gland tumours (72 cases with benign disease and 39 cases with malignancy) and 29 control specimens. The principal positivity of cases, the site of signal presence and the quantitative parameters concerning percentage of positive cells and labelling intensity were determined. Acinic cell and adenoid cystic carcinomas (specifically tubular and cribriform types) shared the expression signature of Gal-1, Gal-3 and Gal-8 presence combined with Gal-7 absence. Mucoepidermoid carcinomas presented a unique profile based on cytoplasmic Gal-1, Gal-3, Gal-7 and Gal-8 localization in the intermediate cells. Adenomas were separable from malignancy by a consistent decrease in the labelling index (LI) for Gal-7 and Gal-8 (LI Gal-7, P<10(-6) ; LI Gal-8, P=0.001). When present, staining for the tumour suppressor p16(INK4a) coincided with Gal-1 presence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression profiling of the four tested galectins in salivary gland tumours revealed non-uniform staining patterns with discriminatory potential based on intracellular localization and quantitative aspects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Remmelink
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Leval
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Decaestecker
authors.forename: Anaelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duray
authors.forename: Emerence
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crompot
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sirtaine
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaltner
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Leroy
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gabius
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saussez
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018267:Carcinoma, Acinar Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D037161:Galectins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037161:Galectins