| Abstract: |
Galectin-3 belongs to a family of carbohydratebinding proteins whose function is not fully characterized. However, it is believed to play a role in adhesion, proliferation and apoptosis in solid tumors. We aimed at investigating galectin-3 expression in bladder cancer. Galectin-3 expression was assessed by transcript profiling (U133A arrays) in a series or frozen bladder tumors (n=105). Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue arrays containing bladder tumors (n=389) to evaluate associations of protein expression patterns of galectin-3 with proliferation (Ki67), apoptosis (apopdetek), bcl-2, and clinicopathologic variables. Galectin- 3 protein levels were then quantified in 160 urinary specimens of bladder cancer patients and controls by enzymeimmunoanalysis. Galectin-3 gene expression levels increased in invasive tumours as compared with non-muscle invasive lesions (p=0.001) and were associated with poor survival in patients with advanced disease (p=0.03). Protein expression patterns also correlated galectin-3 with tumor stage (p< 0.001), grade (p=0.03), Ki67 and apopdetek (p<0.001), and overall survival in patients with T1G3 tumors (p<0.001). Furthermore, galectin-3 urinary levels segregated bladder cancer patients from controls with high diagnostic accuracy (AUC=0.7). Independent series of bladder tumors showed that transcript and protein levels of galectin-3 were differentially expressed along bladder cancer progression. Urinary protein levels served to identify bladder cancer patients. These observations suggest a role for galectin-3 as a biomarker for bladder cancer diagnostics, staging, and outcome prognosis. © International Society of Oncology and BioMarkers (ISOBM) 2010. |
| Keywords: |
immunohistochemistry; cancer survival; controlled study; human tissue; protein expression; treatment outcome; human cell; major clinical study; overall survival; genetics; disease course; cancer growth; cancer staging; diagnostic accuracy; sensitivity and specificity; ki 67 antigen; cell proliferation; metabolism; protein bcl 2; reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; apoptosis; gene expression profiling; tumor volume; tumor markers, biological; genetic transcription; cancer cell culture; pathology; tumor cell culture; tumor cells, cultured; bladder cancer; tumor marker; bladder tumor; urinary bladder neoplasms; cancer invasion; extracellular matrix; enzyme immunoassay; gene expression regulation; immunoenzyme techniques; survival time; blotting, western; gene expression regulation, neoplastic; messenger rna; reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; rna, messenger; oligonucleotide array sequence analysis; disease progression; biomarker; western blotting; urinary bladder; tissue array analysis; dna microarray; cancer tissue; tissue microarray; protein urine level; frozen section; bladder; urine cytology; galectin-3; galectin 3
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