Clinicopathologic Significance of Galectin-3 Expression Patterns in Gastric Cancer Patients

Abstract

We evaluated the galectin-3 expression patterns and their clinicopathologic significance in patients with gastric cancer. The study included 89 patients with gastric cancer that had been surgically resected. Based on Lauren's classification, 36 patients had intestinal-type cancer and 53 patients had diffuse-type cancer. Lymph node metastasis was observed in 47 patients. The expression of galectin-3 was determined immunohistochemically. Galectin-3 expression was observed in all 89 patients. Comparison of the groups of patients showing a high expression level of galectin-3 (high-expression group) and a low level of galectin-3 expression (low-expression group) showed that the low-expression group had significantly poorly differentiated tumors (P=0.0223) , more advanced histologic T factor (P=0.0236) , and higher rates of lymph node metastasis (P=0.0003). Moreover, when the staining patterns in the high-expression group were classified as diffuse or scattered, significantly poorly differentiated tumors (P < 0.0001) , more advanced histologic T factor (P=0.0165) , and higher rates of lymph node metastasis were observed in the subgroup with the scattered pattern of staining. Moreover, for intestinal-type cancer in the high-expression group, the rate of lymph node metastasis was significantly higher (P=0.001) in the scattered staining pattern subgroup. Our results suggest that tumor growth and metastasis rate are low if galectin-3 is expressed widely and diffusely in the tumor, and that the function of galectin-3 is to inhibit cancer growth. In contrast, prognosis is poor when galectin-3 is expressed in either a small area or over a large area but in a scattered pattern.