title: Galectin-3 regulates the innate immune response of human monocytes.
abstract: Galectin-3 is a β-galactoside-binding lectin widely expressed on epithelial and hematopoietic cells, and its expression is frequently associated with a poor prognosis in cancer. Because it has not been well-studied in human infectious disease, we examined galectin-3 expression in mycobacterial infection by studying leprosy, an intracellular infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Galectin-3 was highly expressed on macrophages in lesions of patients with the clinically progressive lepromatous form of leprosy; in contrast, galectin-3 was almost undetectable in self-limited tuberculoid lesions. We investigated the potential function of galectin-3 in cell-mediated immunity using peripheral blood monocytes. Galectin-3 enhanced monocyte interleukin 10 production to a TLR2/1 ligand, whereas interleukin 12p40 secretion was unaffected. Furthermore, galectin-3 diminished monocyte to dendritic cell differentiation and T-cell antigen presentation. These data demonstrate an association of galectin-3 with unfavorable host response in leprosy and a potential mechanism for impaired host defense in humans.
authors.affiliation: Dirks/Dougherty Laboratory for Cancer Research, Department of Translational Immunology, John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, California, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Sieling
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schenk
authors.forename: Rosane M B
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Teles
authors.forename: Stephan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Krutzik
authors.forename: Daniel K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Fu-Tong
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Euzenir N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Sarno
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stenger
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Modlin
authors.forename: Delphine J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000187:drug effects; D018949:Antigens, CD1 / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40 / Q000378:metabolism; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018949:Antigens, CD1; C419394:CD1b antigen; D037502:Galectin 3; D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016753:Interleukin-10