| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |





From the Fundación Instituto Leloir,* Buenos Aires; the Centro de Investigaciones Oncológicas-Fundación Cáncer,
Buenos Aires; the Hospital Eva Perón,
San Martín, Buenos Aires; and the Departamento de Patología,
Instituto Alexander Fleming, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The immune system recognizes diverse melanoma antigens. However, tumors can evade the immune response, therefore growing and progressing. It has been reported that galectin-3 and galectin-1 can induce apoptosis of activated lymphocytes. However, there is strong evidence indicating that the regulation of galectins function in the human tumor microenvironment is a complex process that is influenced by diverse biological circumstances. Here, we have investigated 33 biopsies (eight primary and 25 metastases) from 24 melanoma patients (1572 years old) and describe the correlation between the expression of galectin-3 or galectin-1 and the level of apoptosis of tumor-associated lymphocytes using immunohistochemistry and an in situ nick translation assay. The range of galectin-3-positive tumor cells varied between 0% and 93% and that of galectin-1-positive tumor cells varied between 5% and 97%. In addition, 23 ± 27% of tumor-associated lymphocytes were apoptotic. Although our results show a correlation between galectin-3 expression and apoptosis of tumor-associated lymphocytes, we could not find such correlation with galectin-1. Considering the complex process of cancer immunoediting, various interacting factors must be considered.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
A. P. Gunning, R. J. M. Bongaerts, and V. J. Morris Recognition of galactan components of pectin by galectin-3 FASEB J, February 1, 2009; 23(2): 415 - 424. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. SAUSSEZ, C. DECAESTECKER, S. CLUDTS, P. ERNOUX, D. CHEVALIER, K. SMETANA Jr., S. ANDRE, X. LEROY, and H.-J. GABIUS Adhesion/Growth-regulatory Tissue Lectin Galectin-1 in Relation to Angiogenesis/Lymphocyte Infiltration and Prognostic Relevance of Stromal Up-regulation in Laryngeal Carcinomas Anticancer Res, January 1, 2009; 29(1): 59 - 65. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
W. Peng, H. Y. Wang, Y. Miyahara, G. Peng, and R.-F. Wang Tumor-Associated Galectin-3 Modulates the Function of Tumor-Reactive T Cells Cancer Res., September 1, 2008; 68(17): 7228 - 7236. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
V. L. J. L. Thijssen, F. Poirier, L. G. Baum, and A. W. Griffioen Galectins in the tumor endothelium: opportunities for combined cancer therapy Blood, October 15, 2007; 110(8): 2819 - 2827. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |