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Overexpression of Galectin-3 and its clinical significance in ovarian carcinoma

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Abstract

Background

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a β-galactoside-binding lectin involved in regulating cell growth, angiogenesis, and tumor progression. We investigated the clinical significance of Gal-3 expression including its possible use as a prognostic marker or therapeutic target in epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC).

Methods

Gal-3 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 71 patients with 54 serous, 13 endometrioid, and 4 mucinous ovarian carcinomas. We assessed the correlation of Gal-3 expression with clinical characteristics including histology, optimal debulking, chemosensitivity, and survival. In vitro, Gal-3 was inhibited using siRNA to evaluate its role in cell growth and sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents in ovarian carcinoma cell lines.

Results

Gal-3 protein, which was mainly cytoplasmic in location, was observed in a majority (63/71, 88.7%) of the EOCs but not in normal ovarian tissues (P < 0.001). High Gal-3 expression in EOCs correlated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS) of patients (P = 0.039; 43.1 and 49.5 months, respectively). Moreover, cotreatment with Gal-3 siRNA and paclitaxel showed an enhanced cytotoxic effect compared with control siRNA in SKOV3 cells.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that Gal-3 expression can be a prognostic factor for PFS and may be involved in regulating the response to paclitaxel-based chemotherapy in the treatment of EOC.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from the Korea Health 21 R&D Project of the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (A090088).

Conflict of interest

No author has any conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 135-710, Korea

    Min Kyu Kim, Hye-Kyung Jeon, Tae Jong Song, Hwang Shin Park, Yoo-Young Lee, Byoung-Gie Kim, Jeong-Won Lee & Duk-Soo Bae

  2. Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Chang Ohk Sung

  3. Experimental Pathology Center, Samsung Cancer Research Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

    In-Gu Do

Authors
  1. Min Kyu Kim
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  2. Chang Ohk Sung
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  3. In-Gu Do
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  4. Hye-Kyung Jeon
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  5. Tae Jong Song
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  6. Hwang Shin Park
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  9. Jeong-Won Lee
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  10. Duk-Soo Bae
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jeong-Won Lee or Duk-Soo Bae.

Additional information

M. K. Kim and C. O. Sung contributed equally to this paper.

This abstract was chosen as a poster presentation at 2010 IGCS (International Gynecologic Cancer Society) (A-214-0003-01288).

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Kim, M.K., Sung, C.O., Do, IG. et al. Overexpression of Galectin-3 and its clinical significance in ovarian carcinoma. Int J Clin Oncol 16, 352–358 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-011-0190-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-011-0190-x

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