No abstract available.
Galectin 3* ; Macrophages*

No abstract available.
Galectin 3* ; Skin*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Existing data on the spatiotemporal expression patterns of a variety of galectins in murine atherosclerosis are limited. We investigated the expression levels of galectins, and their in vivo spatiotemporal expression patterns and statin responsiveness in the inflamed atherosclerotic plaques of apolipoprotein E (apoE)-/- mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Galectins expression patterns in aortic atherosclerotic plaques and serum galectin-3 levels were investigated in 26-week-old apoE-/- (n=6) and C57BL/6 mice (n=9). To investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in plaques, high-cholesterol diet-fed 26-week-old (n=12) and 36-week-old apoE-/- mice (n=6) were sacrificed and their aortas were examined for galectins' expression using immunoblot analysis and immunohistochemical stain. 36-week-old apoE-/- mice were treated with atorvastatin (n=3, 0.57 mg/kg/day) for the evaluation of its effect on aortic galectins' expression. RESULTS: Immunoblot analyses showed that galectin-1 and galectin-3 were the predominant galectins expressed in murine atherosclerosis. The serum galectin-3 level was significantly higher in apoE-/- mice (p<0.001). While galectin-1 was weakly expressed in both intimal plaques and the media of atherosclerotic aortas, galectin-3 was heavily and exclusively accumulated in intimal plaques. Galectin-3 distribution was colocalized with plaque macrophages' distribution (r=0.66). As the degree of plaque extent and inflammation increased, the intraplaque galectin-3 expression levels proportionally elevated (p<0.01 vs. baseline), whereas galectin-1 expression had not elevated (p=0.14 vs. baseline). Atorvastatin treatment markedly reduced intraplaque galectin-3 and macrophage signals (p<0.001 vs. baseline), whereas it failed to reduce galectin-1 expression in the aortas. CONCLUSION: Galectin-3 is the predominant gal and is colocalized with macrophages within atherosclerotic plaques. Intraplaque galectin-3 expression reflects the degree of plaque inflammation.
Animals ; Aorta ; Apolipoproteins ; Atherosclerosis ; Galectin 1 ; Galectin 3 ; Galectins ; Heptanoic Acids ; Inflammation ; Macrophages ; Mice ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Pyrroles ; Atorvastatin Calcium

BACKGROUND: Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent APCs (antigen-presenting cells) and play a critical role in immune responses. Galectin-3 is a biological lectin with a beta-galactoside binding affinity. Recently, proteomic analysis revealed the presence of galectin-3 in the exosome of mature DCs. However, the expression and function of galectin-3 in DCs remains unclear yet. METHODS: We used bone marrow-derived DCs of mouse and showed the expression of galectin-3 in DCs by using flow cytometry analysis and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Galectin-3 was determined as single band of 35 kDa in Western blot analysis. Flow cytometry analysis showed the major growth factor for DCs, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and maturing agents, anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) consistently increased the intracellular expression of galectin-3 in DCs compared to medium alone. In addition, DCs treated with maturing agents did marginally express galectin-3 on their surface. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that galectin-3 in DCs may be regulated by critical factors for DC function.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Carrier Proteins* ; Colony-Stimulating Factors ; Dendritic Cells* ; Flow Cytometry ; Galectin 3* ; Mice

BACKGROUND: Making the diagnosis of the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPTC) is often difficult, and there are no accurate immunohistochemical or molecular markers. The purpose of this study is to evaluate performing immunohistochemistry to make the diagnosis of FVPTC. METHODS: A total of 249 thyroid lesions were studied. We made the tissue microarray, and we assessed the expression of HBME-1, galectin-3, CD56, and p63. RESULTS: Galectin-3, HBME-1, and p63 were positive in 79.7%, 79.7%, and 15.9% of the FVPTC, respectively. These immunohistochemical features of FVPTC were between those of classic papillary thyroid carcinoma (CPTC) and those of non-PTC. The CD56 expression was positive in 75.4% of the FVPTC, which is much higher than that of the CPTC (28.3%), and even higher than that of the non-PTC lesions (60%). Comparing FVPTC with CPTC, the expression of galectin-3 was significantly higher and the expression of CD56 was significantly lower in the CPTCs. Comparing the FVPTC with follicular carcinoma (FC), the expression of all the markers was significantly higher in the FVPTC. Comparing PTC with FC, the expression of CD56 was lower and the expressions of the other markers were higher in the PTCs. CONCLUSIONS: Galectin-3, HBME-1, and p63 can help make the diagnosis of FVPTC, and a cocktail of these markers can be even more useful. But CD56 is not thought to be useful to make the diagnosis of FVPTC.
Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Factor IX ; Galectin 3 ; Immunohistochemistry ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms

Gastric cancer cells express large amounts of galectin-3 on the cell surface. This fact may provide the possibility to use galectin-3 protein as a surface target for delivering cytotoxic anticancer agents. To investigate the possibility of application of galectin-3 protein as a target protein in delivering cytotoxic anticancer agents, we synthesized doxorubicin immunoconjugate by using maleimidocaproic acid and conjugated doxorubicin immunoconjugate to anti-galectin-3 mAb. The anticancer effect of immunotoxin was assayed on NIH3T3, AGS and KATO III cell lines. The anticancer effect of immunotoxin on AGS cell line is highest and that of KATO III is higher than that of NIH3T3. This results relate to that of flow cytometry analysis previously shown and indicate that galectin-3 protein can be used as a target protein on the surface of gastric cancer cell for delivering cytotoxic anticancer agents.
Antineoplastic Agents* ; Cell Line ; Doxorubicin ; Flow Cytometry ; Galectin 3 ; Galectins* ; Immunoconjugates ; Immunotoxins ; Staphylococcal Protein A ; Stomach Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis and etiology of endometrial polyps has not been elucidated. In this study, we aimed to examine the pathogenic mechanisms of endometrial polyp development using immunohistochemistry. We evaluated the expression of galectin-3 and cyclooxgenase-2 (COX-2) during the menstrual cycle in premenopausal women with endometrial polyps or normal endometrium. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with endometrial polyps and 50 healthy control patients were included in this study. The levels of expression of COX-2 and galectin-3 were studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The percentage of COX-2-positive cells and the intensity of COX-2 staining in the endometrium did not vary during the menstrual cycle either in the control group or in patients with endometrial polyps. However, expression of galectin-3 was significantly lower in endometrial polyps and during the proliferative phase of the endometrium compared with the secretory phase. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that the pathogenesis of endometrial polyps does not involve expression of COX-2 or galectin-3.
Cyclooxygenase 2* ; Endometrium ; Female ; Galectin 3* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Menstrual Cycle ; Polyps*

PURPOSE: There are few molecular markers useful in practice for predicting prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) despite numerous basic researches. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic values of several candidate markers of PTC (p53, Ki-67 and galectin-3) using immunohistochemistry (IHC), one of the most practical methods. METHODS: IHC for p53, Ki-67 and galectin-3 were performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of 160 PTC specimens using monoclonal antibodies. The associations of the expressions of these markers with multiple clinicopathologic prognostic factors were assessed. RESULTS: The overexpresion rates of p53, Ki-67 and galectin-3 were 48.8%, 64.3% and 97.8%, respectively. Overexpression of p53 protein was positively associated with extrathyroidal extension (P<0.001). In addition, p53 immunoreactivity was more prevalent among Ki-67 overexpressed specimens (P<0.001). Ki-67 immunoreactivity was positively correlated with tumor size (P<0.05), which became more distinct when accompanied with p53 overexpression (P<0.01). In contrast, no relationship between galectin-3 immunoreactivity and clinical prognostic factors was found. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that overexpression of p53 protein and Ki-67 in papillary thyroid carcinoma is associated with tumor progression and that IHC for these proteins could be useful for predicting prognosis of patients with PTC.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Carcinoma ; Factor IX ; Galectin 3 ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Prognosis ; Proteins ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: The expressions of galectin-3, cytokeratin 19, p53, and Ki-67 in papillary carcinoma (PC), follicular carcinoma (FC), follicular adenoma (FA), and nodular hyperplasia (NH) are characteristic for the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant thyroid tumors. METHODS: The expressions of the four markers were evaluated in PC (n=37), FC (n=12), FA (n=22), and NH (n=23) by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Statistical analyses revealed that galectin-3 was significantly expressed in the malignant tumor cells of PC and FC, while CK19 was expressed only in PC. CONCLUSION: These results show that galectin-3 is useful in differential diagnosis between malignant and benign thyroid lesions, especially between FC and FA in the patients over 20 years old, and indicate that CK19 is valuable in differentiating between follicular variant of PC and FC and between PC and papillary area of nodular hyperplasia.
Adenoma ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Galectin 3* ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Keratin-19* ; Keratins* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) is considered as the most feasible preoperative diagnostic tool for thyroid lesions. However, the false results of FNAC are not uncommon, and so we need a development of novel supportive preoperative diagnostic modality. In previous studies, galectin-3, a beta-galactosidase-binding protein, was expressed preferentially in thyroid malignancies. In this study, we analyzed whether the galectin-3 immunohistochemistry (IHC) is useful as a preoperative diagnostic tool. METHODS: 79 patients who underwent a definite surgery for thyroid nodule were analyzed. The preoperative routine stained cytology and galectin-3 IHC for fine-needle aspirates and the galectin-3 IHC for postoperative specimen were performed. Individual results were compared with the final diagnoses. RESULTS: Of 79 specimens, 28 (35.4%) were malignant. The false negative rate (FNR) of galectin-3 IHC in the surgical specimen was 10.0%. The FNR of galectin-3 IHC for the fine-needle aspirates was 50.0% and the FNR of routine cytology was 20.5%. However, the FNR of galectin-3 IHC in the fine-needle aspirates was lowered up to 20.0% in thyroid lesions obtained by using ultrasound-guided aspiration. Among the 14 cases reported as suspicious in routine cytology, 13 cases were revealed the accurate correlations in galectn-3 IHC. CONCLUSION: It appears that galectin-3 IHC in preoperative FNAC alone had a little accuracy. However, preoperative galectin-3 IHC in thyroid lesions obtained under the ultrasound guidance could be diagnostic. Especially in suspicious group in FNAC, galectin-3 IHC could be critical method in differentiating malignant lesions from benign lesions of thyroid.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Diagnosis ; Galectin 3* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule* ; Ultrasonography