title: Galectin-4, a novel predictor for lymph node metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma.
abstract: Metastasis is still a major issue in cancer, and the discovery of biomarkers predicting metastatic capacity is essential for the development of better therapeutic strategies for treating lung adenocarcinoma. By using a proteomic approach, we aimed to identify novel predictors for lymph node metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma. Two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed 6 spots differentially expressed between lymph node metastasis-positive and lymph node metastasis-negative groups in a discovery set. Subsequent mass spectrometry showed that 2 of these spots were derived from galectin-4, and western blot analysis confirmed the overexpression of galectin-4 in metastatic samples. The predictive value of galectin-4 was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis for a validation set consisting of 707 surgically resected specimens of lung adenocarcinomas (stages I to IV). We observed that 148 lung adenocarcinomas (20.9%) expressed galectin-4, which was significantly associated with variables of disease progression such as tumor size (p<0.0001), pleural invasion (p = 0.0071), venous invasion (p = 0.0178), nodal status (p = 0.0007), and TNM stage (p<0.0001). By the multivariate analysis, Galectin-4 expression was revealed as one of the independent predictor for lymph node metastasis, together with solid predominant and micropapillary histologic pattern. Furthermore, galectin-4 expression was revealed to be an independent predictor for lymph node metastasis and an adverse survival factor in patients with lung adenocarcinoma of acinar predominant type. Galectin-4 plays an important role in metastatic process of lung adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical testing for galectin-4 expression may be useful together with the detection of specific histology to predict the metastatic potential of lung adenocarcinoma.
authors: Department of Human Pathology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Takuo
authors: T
authors: Hayashi
authors: Tsuyoshi
authors: T
authors: Saito
authors: Tsutomu
authors: T
authors: Fujimura
authors: Kieko
authors: K
authors: Hara
authors: Kazuya
authors: K
authors: Takamochi
authors: Keiko
authors: K
authors: Mitani
authors: Reiko
authors: R
authors: Mineki
authors: Saiko
authors: S
authors: Kazuno
authors: Shiaki
authors: S
authors: Oh
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Ueno
authors: Kenji
authors: K
authors: Suzuki
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Yao
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D037541:Galectin 4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D037541:Galectin 4; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins