Prognostic Significance of Endogenous Adhesion/Growth-Regulatory Lectins in Lung Cancer

Vol. 69, No. 2, 2005

Free Abstract Article (Fulltext) Article (PDF 312 KB)

Laboratory/Clinical Translational Research

Prognostic Significance of Endogenous Adhesion/Growth-Regulatory Lectins in Lung Cancer
Tamas Szöke^a, Klaus Kayser^b, Jan-Dirk Baumhäkel^b, Imre Trojan^a, Jozsef Furak^a, Laszlo Tiszlavicz^c, Akos Horvath^d, Kornelia Szluha^d, Hans-Joachim Gabius^e, Sabine Andre^e

^aDepartment of Surgery, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary,
^bInstitute of Pathology, Charité, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany,
^cInstitute of Pathology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary,
^dDepartment of Radiotherapy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary,
^eInstitute of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany

Address of Corresponding Author

Oncology 2005;69:167-174 (DOI: 10.1159/000087841)

Key Words

Apoptosis
Galectin
Hyaluronic acid
Lectin
Lung cancer

Abstract

Objective: To determine the expression of endogenous adhesion/growth-regulatory lectins and their binding sites using labeled tissue lectins as well as the binding profile of hyaluronic acid as an approach to define new prognostic markers. Methods: Sections of paraffin-embedded histological material of 481 lungs from lung tumor patients following radical lung excision processed by a routine immunohistochemical method (avidin-biotin labeling, DAB chromogen). Specific antibodies against galectins-1 and -3 and the heparin-binding lectin were tested. Staining by labeled galectins and hyaluronic acid was similarly visualized by a routine protocol. After semiquantitative assessment of staining, the results were compared with the pT and pN stages and the histological type. Survival was calculated by univariate and multivariate methods. Results: Binding of galectin-1 and its expression tended to increase, whereas the parameters for galectin-3 decreased in advanced pT and pN stages at a statistically significant level. The number of positive cases was considerably smaller among the cases with small cell lung cancer than in the group with non-small-cell lung cancer, among which adenocarcinomas figured prominently with the exception of galectin-1 expression. Kaplan-Meier computations revealed that the survival rate of patients with galectin-3-binding or galectin-1-expressing tumors was significantly poorer than that of the negative cases. In the multivariate calculations of survival lymph node metastases (p < 0.0001), histological type (p = 0.003), galectin-3-binding capacity (p = 0.01), galectin-3 expression (p = 0.03) and pT status (p = 0.003) proved to be independent prognostic factors, not correlated with the pN stage. Conclusion: The expression and the capacity to bind the adhesion/growth regulatory galectin-3 is defined as an unfavorable prognostic factor not correlated with the pTN stage.

Author Contacts

Tamas Szöke MD, FETCS
Department of Surgery, University of Szeged
Pécsi u. 4
HU-6720 Szeged (Hungary)
Tel. +36 62 54 57 01, E-Mail szoketama@hotmail.com

Article Information

Received: March 1, 2005
Accepted after revision: May 28, 2005
Published online: August 24, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 8
Number of Figures : 4, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 31

Medline Abstract (ID 16127288)

Download Citation

Cited In

This journal is part of the fourth subject package of the Karger

Journal Archive Collection

Information on packages (PDF)
Free sample issues

For non-native English speakers and international authors who would like assistance with their writing before submission, we suggest American Journal Experts for their scientific editing service.