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Expression of galectin-3 in primary and metastatic melanoma: immunohistochemical studies on human lesions and nude mice xenograft tumors

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Abstract

Galectins are a large family of proteins which bind galactoside-containing glycans. Their role in cancer seems to be important since members of the family may mediate cell adhesion and modulate cell growth. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is expressed in the nucleus, in the cytoplasm and on the cell surface, and can also be secreted into the extracellular matrix. A series of experimental and clinical data have been reported which indicate that Gal-3 may play a putative role in carcinogenesis, cancer progression and the process of metastasis. To study the possible correlation between Gal-3 expression and malignant potential in primary melanoma lesions, we conducted an immunohistochemical study with monoclonal anti-Gal-3 antibody in a series of primary and metastatic melanoma lesions as well as benign skin pigmented lesions. We also developed a xenograft melanoma model in nude mice with two melanoma cell lines (ATCC G-361 and ATCC HT-144) and assessed staining with the Gal-3 antibody in the xenografts and the metastases. The expression of anti-Gal-3 staining was determined semiquantitatively. The expression of Gal-3 was higher in thin primary melanoma lesions than in benign pigmented skin lesions or metastases and seemed to correlate inversely with the aggressiveness as estimated by the Breslow index which is recognized as the main prognostic factor in melanoma. We propose Gal-3 expression in melanoma as a diagnostic and/or a prognostic parameter and suggest that further studies of such a role for Gal-3 are warranted.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by an Erasmus Foundation grant (P.V.) and by a grant from the Fonds pour la Formation à la Recherche dans l’Industrie et dans l’Agriculture (F.R.I.A.) (C.D.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Erasme University Hospital, 808 Lennikstreet, 1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Pierre Vereecken, Marianne Laporte & Michel Heenen

  2. Department of Medical Oncology, Bordet Institute, Rue Héger-Bordet 1, 1000, Brussels, Belgium

    Pierre Vereecken & Ahmad Awada

  3. Laboratory of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Free University of Brussels, 808 Lennikstreet, 1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Charles Debray & Roland Pochet

  4. Institut de Pathologie et de Génétique (IPG), Allée des Templiers 41, 6280, Gerpinnes (Loverval), Belgium

    Michel Petein & Marie-Claude Lalmand

  5. Centre de Morphologie et de Pathologie (CMP), Avenue Joseph Wybran 45A, 1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Bernard Van Den Heule

  6. Department of Pathology, Bordet Institute, Rue Héger-Bordet 1, 1000, Brussels, Belgium

    Alain Verhest

  7. 17 avenue Nellie Melba, 1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Pierre Vereecken

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  1. Pierre Vereecken
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  2. Charles Debray
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  10. Michel Heenen
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Correspondence to Pierre Vereecken.

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Vereecken, P., Debray, C., Petein, M. et al. Expression of galectin-3 in primary and metastatic melanoma: immunohistochemical studies on human lesions and nude mice xenograft tumors. Arch Dermatol Res 296, 353–358 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-004-0536-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-004-0536-6

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