Expression and clinical significance of galectin-3 in osteosarcoma.
Galectin-3 is a multifunctional β-galactoside-binding protein which has been shown to play a role in carcinogenesis. However, the involvement of galectin-3 in osteosarcoma remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to examine the serum level of galectin-3 in osteosarcoma patients and healthy controls, and the protein expression of galectin-3 in osteosarcoma tissues and their adjacent non-malignant tissues. We further aimed to investigate the clinical significance of galectin-3 serum and protein expression levels. Galectin-3 serum level was evaluated using ELISA in 132 osteosarcoma patients and 184 healthy controls, while the protein expression of galectin-3 was determined using immunohistochemistry in the malignant and the surrounding non-malignant tissues of the same 132 osteosarcoma patients. Our results showed that the mean galectin-3 serum level was significantly higher in patients than in controls (2.35 ± 0.91 ng/ml vs. 0.86 ± 0.20 ng/ml) (p<0.0001). Among patients, a higher galectin-3 serum level was significantly associated with the Enneking stage of cancer (p<0.0001). In addition, we found a significant overrepresentation of high galectin-3 expression in osteosarcoma tissues than in non-malignant tissues (p<0.0001). Galectin-3 expression in osteosarcoma tissues was also found to be correlated with the Enneking stage of cancer (p<0.0001) and the occurrence of metastasis (p<0.0001). In conclusion, galectin-3 could serve as a useful prognostic marker in osteosarcoma.
Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Wuhan, PR China; Department of Orthopaedics, The Affiliated Hospital of Medicine, Faculty of Wuhan University, PR China.
Xuesong
X
Zhou
Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Wuhan, PR China; Department of Orthopaedics, The Affiliated Hospital of Medicine, Faculty of Wuhan University, PR China.
Jie
J
Jing
Department of Orthopaedics, Wuhan Traditional Chinese Medicine University, PR China.
Jing
J
Peng
Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Wuhan, PR China.
Wen
W
Mao
Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Wuhan, PR China.
Yizhou
Y
Zheng
Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Wuhan, PR China.
Du
D
Wang
Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Wuhan, PR China.
Xin
X
Wang
Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Wuhan, PR China.
Zhiming
Z
Liu
Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Hospital of Wuhan, PR China. Electronic address: zhangxiangming1966@gmail.com.
Xiangming
X
Zhang
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D037502:Galectin 3; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins
Expression; Galectin-3; Immunohistochemistry; Osteosarcoma; Serum