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Galectin-Expression an urologischen Tumoren

Diagnostisches, prognostisches und therapeutisches Potential

Galectin expression in urological cancer

Diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic potential

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Zusammenfassung

Galectine sind eine Gruppe von 15 Proteinen, die sowohl intra- als auch extrazellulär an bestimmte Kohlenhydratreste binden können und dabei eine wichtige Rolle bei der Regulation des Zellzyklus spielen. So wurden durch molekularbiologische Untersuchungen spezifische Expressionsmuster in Zusammenhang mit Prozessen wie Metastasierung und Apoptose feststellt, weshalb die Galectine potentielle Tumormarker im Rahmen einer optimierten Früherkennung, Langzeitprognose und Therapiewahl darstellen könnten. Gegenstand der vorliegenden Übersicht ist die Bedeutung der Galectine für die Entwicklung von Nieren-, Harnblasen- und Prostatakarzinomen darzustellen, wobei die Galectine-1 und -3 bislang auf Transkriptions- und Translationsebene am intensivsten untersucht wurden. Beim klarzelligen Nierenzellkarzinom wurde beispielsweise innerhalb mehrerer Untersuchungen eine erniedrigte Expression von Galectin-3 belegt, wobei diese zudem mit einer schlechteren Prognose korreliert werden konnte. Bei Patienten mit Harnblasenkarzinom war im Gegensatz hierzu insbesondere der Galectin-3-Spiegel im Serum deutlich erhöht. Analysen von Tumorgewebe aus Prostatakarzinomen ergaben weiterhin, dass eine veränderte Galectin-1-Expression im Stroma ein unabhängiger Prädiktor für ein PSA-Rezidiv sein kann. Darüber hinaus konnten auch bei nicht urologischen Tumoren, beispielsweise dem Mammakarzinom, pathologische Expressionsmuster festgestellt werden. Obgleich diese Ergebnisse darauf hindeuten, dass die Galectine in Zukunft als klinisch relevante Biomarker bei urologischen Tumoren fungieren könnten, werden weitere Untersuchungen erforderlich sein, um insbesondere die pathogenetische entwicklungsabhängige Funktion der Galectine bei der Tumorgenese für Tumoren des urologischen Formenkreises genauer beschreiben zu können.

Abstract

Galectins are a family of 15 proteins. They interact with glycoproteins in both the extracellular and intracellular milieu and regulate various biological cycles including cell growth, cell differentiation, cell adhesion and apoptosis. In biomolecular studies certain patterns of expression showed a correlation with metastasis and apoptosis. Therefore, galectins could be used as potential markers for early tumour recognition, long-term prognosis and a better-founded choice of therapy. Acknowledging these possibilities this review points out the standing of galectins with all currently available data in the development and progression of renal, bladder and prostatic tumours. The expression patterns of galectin-1 and -3 have been researched extensively. For example, several studies could show a decreased expression of galectin-3 in clear renal cell carcinoma, which correlated with a poor clinical prognosis. On the contrary, patients with a bladder tumour showed an elevated serum level of galectin-3. Furthermore, in analysis of prostatic tumour tissue galectin-1 was found to be an independent predictor of a PSA relapse. In addition, pathological patterns of galectin expression could be detected in non-urological malignancies such as breast cancer. Though all findings indicate a future significance of galectins as markers of urological malignancies with clinical relevance, more research will be necessary to particularly assess the evolutional-dependent function of galectins in the process of tumourigenesis.

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  1. Klinik für Urologie und urologische Onkologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH), Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Deutschland

    S. Waalkes,  A.S. Merseburger, A. Simon, J. Serth & M.A. Kuczyk

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  1. S. Waalkes
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  2. A.S. Merseburger
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  3. A. Simon
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  4. J. Serth
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  5. M.A. Kuczyk
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Correspondence to A.S. Merseburger.

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Waalkes, S., Merseburger, A., Simon, A. et al. Galectin-Expression an urologischen Tumoren. Urologe 49, 387–391 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00120-009-2175-1

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