title: Galectin-7 in cardiac allografts in mice: increased expression compared with isografts and localization in infiltrating lymphocytes and vascular endothelial cells.
abstract: We sought to identify elevated expression of galectin-7, a T-cell-binding protein, in renal allograft recipients undergoing acute rejection episodes. Allografts and isografts were examined immunohistologically and using quantitative Western blot analysis for galectin-7 protein. The expression of galectin-7 in T lymphocytes from draining lymph nodes in the recipient mice was examined using flow cytometry. We observed galectin-7 to gradually increase with time in the allografts to be significantly higher than that in isografts at days 3, 5, and 7 postoperative: 0.85 ± 0.03 versus 0.69 ± 0.05; 1.15 ± 0.11 versus 0.81 ± 0.02; and 2.02 ± 0.12 versus 0.81 ± 0.05 (P < .05). The majority of galectin-7 was located in the infiltrating lymphocytes and vascular endothelial cells. Furthermore, the percentage of CD4+galectin-7+ and CD8+galectin-7+ T cells from draining lymph nodes in the allograft group was higher than that in the isograft group: 28.0 ± 1.0% versus 1.2 ± 0.2%; and 12.4 ± 0.8% versus 0.4 ± 0.1% (P < .01). In conclusion, galectin-7 relates to acute allograft rejection and T-cell responses possibly as an accelerant.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Z K
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D037161:Galectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009206:Myocardium / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D037161:Galectins; C490487:Lgals7 protein, mouse