Cvejic D, Savin S, Paunovic I, Tatic S, Havelka M, Sinadinovic J
Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy-INEP, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Anticancer Res. 1998 Jul-Aug;18(4A):2637-41.
Galectin-3 is an endogenous beta-galactoside binding lectin with putative roles in development, immunomodulation, transformation and metastasis. The purpose of this study was to analyze galectin-3 expression in a series of human thyroid neoplastic lesions.
A total of 76 cases, including 47 specimens of thyroid malignancies, 14 follicular adenomas and 15 specimens of normal thyroid tissue, were analyzed immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody to galectin-3 and avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) method.
The immunohistochemical staining results showed galectin-3 expression in neoplastic cells of all 20 cases of papillary carcinoma, 11 out of 15 follicular carcinomas, both oxyphilic carcinomas, all 10 anaplastic carcinomas and 5 out of 14 follicular adenomas. Galectin-3 localization was mostly cytoplasmic, but also membraneous or nuclear in some cells. Follicular cells in normal thyroid tissue were negative.
The results of this study indicate that galectin-3 gene is expressed at the protein level in most thyroid carcinomas and some adenomas. Galectin-3 expression was not clearly correlated with histopathological aggressiveness, dedifferentiation state or determination of malignancy of the follicular tumour. The role of galectin-3 in thyroid tumour biology remains to be elucidated.
半乳糖凝集素-3是一种内源性β-半乳糖苷结合凝集素，在发育、免疫调节、转化和转移中可能发挥作用。本研究的目的是分析一系列人类甲状腺肿瘤性病变中半乳糖凝集素-3的表达情况。
共76例，包括47例甲状腺恶性肿瘤标本、14例滤泡性腺瘤和15例正常甲状腺组织标本，采用抗半乳糖凝集素-3单克隆抗体和抗生物素蛋白-生物素-过氧化物酶复合物（ABC）法进行免疫组织化学分析。
免疫组织化学染色结果显示，20例乳头状癌、15例滤泡癌中的11例、2例嗜酸细胞癌、10例未分化癌全部以及14例滤泡性腺瘤中的5例肿瘤细胞均有半乳糖凝集素-3表达。半乳糖凝集素-3主要定位于细胞质，但部分细胞也定位于细胞膜或细胞核。正常甲状腺组织中的滤泡细胞呈阴性。
本研究结果表明，半乳糖凝集素-3基因在大多数甲状腺癌和部分腺瘤中在蛋白水平表达。半乳糖凝集素-3的表达与组织病理学侵袭性、去分化状态或滤泡性肿瘤的恶性判定无明显相关性。半乳糖凝集素-3在甲状腺肿瘤生物学中的作用仍有待阐明。
