Clinical significance of galectin-3 expression in urinary bladder carcinoma

Abstract

Objective To uncover the clinical significance of galectin-3 in the evolution of urinary bladder cancer by defining galectin-3 expression and examining the relationship between its expression in a group of urothelial carcinomas versus normal tissues along with clinicopathological factors. Methods This retrospective study included histopathological reports and archival blocks and slides of all patients with urinary bladder cancer treated at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia). An anti-galectin-3 monoclonal antibody was used for immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarray slides comprising 128 cases of urothelium carcinoma and 24 specimens of normal bladder mucosa. Results Galectin-3 was downregulated during transformation, with positive expression found in 50 (39%) urinary bladder neoplasms, of which 33 (66%) showed weak immunostaining. All positively-stained malignant tumor and normal bladder mucosa samples showed cytoplasmic staining; a few samples also showed nuclear staining. No correlation was noted between galectin-3 and histotype, grade, stage, muscularis propria invasion, lymph node invasion, vascular invasion, or metastasis. A Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan–Meier survival curves did not show differences in survival on the basis of galectin-3 expression. Conclusion Galectin-3 is down-regulated in bladder cancer but is not a helpful marker for the diagnosis or prognosis of urinary bladder cancer.

Development of Galectin-3 Targeting Drugs for Therapeutic Applications in Various Diseases

“…Gal3 is expressed in various tumors [18,19,21,66,67,74,87,88]; however, the intensity of its expression depends on the type of tumor, its invasiveness, and its metastatic potential [53,54]. For example, Gal3 is highly expressed in the colon, head and neck, liver, gastric, endometrial, thyroid, skin, and breast carcinomas [55,56,66,[88][89][90], while decreased expression of Gal3 is observed in the prostate [67,91], bladder [92], kidney [93], and pituitary cancers [94]. During the progression of some cancers such as colorectal [53,54,95], tongue [53,54], and prostate cancer [67,91,96], changes in cellular localization (shuttling from the nucleus to the cytoplasm) of Gal3 have been observed.…”

Galectin-3’s Complex Interactions in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: From Cellular Signaling to Therapeutic Potential

“…Galectin-3 in Various Carcinomas: Expression, Metastasis, and Prognostic Implications Galectin-3 (Gal-3) serves as a pivotal molecule in the intricate landscape of oncology, with expression patterns spanning a multitude of malignancies, including gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, urinary, respiratory, breast, melanoma, and thyroid systems [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42]. Its role in cancer biology is not merely a byproduct of its widespread distribution but rather an indication of its intimate involvement in critical cellular processes.…”

Hub biomarkers in ultrasound-guided bladder cancer and osteosarcoma: Myosin light chain kinase and caldesmon

“…Even after initial control of bladder cancer, it has a high recurrence rate, necessitating regular follow-up and monitoring to ensure disease stability. [3,4] Osteosarcoma is a rare bone tumor that primarily affects children and young adults. Its incidence is relatively low.…”

“…Even after initial control of bladder cancer, it has a high recurrence rate, necessitating regular follow-up and monitoring to ensure disease stability. [ 3 , 4 ]…”