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Galectin‐3 expression is induced in cirrhotic liver and hepatocellular carcinoma
Author(s) -
Hsu Daniel K.,
Dowling Christopher A.,
Jeng K.C. George,
Chen JungTa,
Yang RiYao,
Liu FuTong
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19990517)81:4<519::aid-ijc3>3.0.co;2-0
Subject(s) - galectin , hepatocellular carcinoma , galectin 3 , hepatitis b virus , biology , metastasis , immunohistochemistry , cancer research , lectin , liver cancer , pathology , cancer , medicine , virus , immunology , genetics
Galectins are a family of β‐galactoside‐binding animal lectins. In particular, a widely studied member galectin‐3, previously designated as ϵBP, CBP35, Mac‐2, L‐29 and L‐34, has been associated with assorted processes such as cell growth, tumor transformation and metastasis. Galectin‐3 is expressed in various tissues and organs but is significantly absent in normal hepatocytes. However, evaluation of patient liver biopsies for galectin‐3 expression resulted in the finding that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently expressed significant levels of this lectin (76% immunohistochemically positive). Further investigation revealed that galectin‐3 expression in HCC is independent of whether the patient had prior hepatitis B virus infection: 14 of 18 HCC cases from HBV + patients, and 5 of 7 cases from HBV − patients demonstrated positive galectin‐3 immunohistochemistry. However, co‐transfection studies using a galectin‐3 promoter construct and an HBV‐X protein (HBV‐X) expression vector demonstrated that galectin‐3 expression can occur through transactivation of the lectin promoter by HBV‐X. Based on presently known properties of this lectin, it is possible that deregulated expression of galectin‐3 can result in tumor transformation and invasiveness, or confer propensity for tumor cell survival. In addition, galectin‐3 was abundantly expressed in cirrhotic liver in peripheral distribution within regenerating nodules. Such galectin‐3 expression in rapidly proliferating hepatocytes in cirrhotic liver may be a result of the high mitotic index. Alternatively, it is possible that proliferating cells expressing galectin‐3 are in the process of being transformed, thus indicating an early neoplastic event. Int. J. Cancer 81:519–526, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.