Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P17931 (galectin-3)
 2,860 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Galectin-3 is a member of the beta-galactoside-binding protein family that plays an important role in cell-cell adhesion and in cell-matrix interaction. We have examined the expression of galectin-3 in normal, adenomatous, and malignant thyroid tissues and also in metastatic lesions. Galectin-3 was rarely expressed in normal thyroid tissue but was abundant in the cytoplasm of the neoplastic lesions. Among neoplastic lesions, galectin-3 was expressed to a greater extent in follicular carcinomas than in follicular adenomas and was present in greater amounts in papillary carcinomas than in follicular adenomas or carcinomas. Primary lesions of papillary carcinoma with metastasis contained significantly higher concentrations of galectin-3 than tumors of this type without metastases. However, the expression of galectin-3 was significantly decreased in metastatic lesions in the lymph nodes compared with their primary lesions. From these results, we assumed that galectin-3 works in different ways at different stages of thyroid neoplasm proliferation. Among primary tumors, galectin-3 expression is significantly different in 3 histological types. However, the continuity of progression among these tumors is not yet proven. In later stages, decreased expression of galectin-3 may aid the release of cancer cells from the primary lesions for invasion and metastasis.
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PMID:Galectin-3 expression in various thyroid neoplasms and its possible role in metastasis formation. 1082 88

The distinction of benign from malignant follicular thyroid neoplasms remains a difficult task in diagnostic fine-needle aspiration cytology, and some discrepant results have been reported for the individual immunocytochemical markers of malignancy proposed so far. The aim of this study was to test if the combined use of a panel of markers could improve the diagnostic accuracy in the preoperative cytological evaluation of 'follicular neoplasms' in an attempt to reduce the number of thyroidectomies performed for benign lesions. The immunocytochemical expression of galectin-3, HBME-1, thyroperoxidase, cytokeratin-19 and keratan-sulfate was retrospectively analyzed in 125 consecutive fine-needle aspiration samples (cell blocks) of indeterminate diagnoses of 'follicular thyroid neoplasm', and compared with their corresponding surgical specimens, including 33 follicular carcinomas, 42 papillary carcinomas and 50 follicular adenomas. Statistical analysis on each marker confirmed that galectin-3 and HBME-1 were the most sensitive (92% and 80% respectively) and specific (94% and 96% respectively) molecules. The use of these two markers sequentially in non-oncocytic lesions (testing HBME-1 as a second marker whenever galectin-3 proved negative) increased the sensitivity and specificity up to 97% and 95% respectively. In oncocytic lesions, HBME-1 proved to be less sensitive, and the sequential combination of galectin-3 and cytokeratin-19 reached 100% of both specificity and sensitivity. Our data showed that, as compared with the use of single markers, the sequential combination of two markers represents the most accurate immunohistochemical panel in managing patients with a fine-needle aspiration biopsy diagnosis of 'follicular neoplasms', especially in otherwise controversial categories such as oncocytic tumours. The combination of three or more markers did not substantially improve the diagnostic accuracy of the test.
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PMID:Characterization of thyroid 'follicular neoplasms' in fine-needle aspiration cytological specimens using a panel of immunohistochemical markers: a proposal for clinical application. 1594 5

Thyroid tumor contributes 1% of the total tumor but 90% of the endocrine related tumors. Majority of the thyroid cancers are being diagnosed by Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and histology. Although histology is considered as gold standard, it has some limitations, like variants of papillary and follicular cancer creates confusion among pathologists, where the morphological features are indistinguishable. Conventional histology and FNAC fails to provide any prognostic and therapeutic information. To address this problem, several immunohistochemical markers are proposed and their efficiency in thyroid cancer diagnosis, treatment and prognosis are being evaluated. Among the discussed immunohistochemical markers, few have potential in accurate diagnosis and prognosis of thyroid carcinoma. Hector battifora mesothelial antigen-1 (HBME-1) and Galectin-3 (GAL-3) shows highest specificity and sensitivity in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer respectively. Overexpression of EGFR in thyroid cancer is in proportionate with the severity of the advanced thyroid carcinoma, which required further evaluation and validation. Surgery and radio-iodine therapy is the main treatment modality, however; combined targeted therapeutic approach against different thyroid cancer receptor and biomarkers can reduce the side effect, and improve therapeutic efficiency. This review is oriented towards the finding of the potent thyroid cancer receptor having enhanced sensitivity and specificity, with diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic efficiency.
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PMID:Biomarkers for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. 2122 66

The presence of ectopic thyroid tissue is a frequent diagnostic feedback related to a possible histogenetic abnormality or a result of post-surgical seeding. The important challenge is the diagnostic definition of its nature, which could lead to a different therapeutic approach. We describe a case with all the possible implications and differential diagnoses supported by the application of immunohistochemistry and BRAF-V600E molecular detection. A 36-year-old girl with a left thyroid nodule underwent surgery with a diagnosis of angio-invasive tall cell variant of papillary carcinoma without lymph-node metastases. The patient history revealed a previous right lobectomy in another institution ten years before. The right neck dissection was histologically characterized by the presence of thymic residual and evidence of microfollicular microfoci (less than 1mm) of thyroid tissue. Thyroid tumor cells were positive for thyroglobulin, TTF-1, HBME-1 and Galectin-3, while the residual ectopic thyroid tissue showed positivity only for TTF-1 and thyroglobulin. The molecular tests on the thyroid nodule revealed the presence of BRAF-V600E mutation, but wild type BRAF in the ectopic tissue. The histo-morphological definition of these remnants plays the most important role, but the application of immunohistochemistry and molecular biology may help to reach a conclusive diagnosis.
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PMID:Detection of ectopic thyroid remnants: a serious diagnostic dilemma. When molecular biology and immunohistochemistry can solve the problem. 2320 Jul 90

We report two cases of follicular adenoma of the thyroid with extensive extracellular mucin deposition. Fine needle aspiration in Case 1 showed singly discohesive polygonal cells in a granular mucinous background. They contained abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, nuclear irregularities, and frequent nuclear inclusions with occasional bizarre mitoses. A right lobectomy was done. In Case 2, a 47-year-old Caucasian woman with multinodular goiter had total thyroidectomy and a yellow-tan nodule was found within the right lobe. Both tumors were well-encapsulated masses with thick capsules. Each was characterized by microfollicles without papillae in a mucinous stroma. Tumor cells were positive for thyroglobulin and negative for calcitonin, CEA, galectin-3, HBME-1, and CK19. The extracellular mucin stained with Alcian-blue and colloidal iron but not with mucicarmine and D-PAS. No BRAF gene mutation was detected. Because there were neither capsular nor vascular invasions, both cases were diagnosed as follicular adenomas of the thyroid with extensive extracellular mucin deposition, which as proposed by the WHO classification can be categorized as a mucinous variant of follicular adenoma. Retrospectively, frequent nuclear inclusions and the absence of nuclear grooves in the mucin-containing background of cytologic smears and histologic sections were shared by those of mucin-producing papillary carcinoma. It is unclear whether it belongs to an existing category of thyroid neoplasm with mucin production or whether it is truly a new tumor variant. Furthermore, pathologists should pay attention to avoid misdiagnosis of this variant of follicular neoplasm that shows an overlapping cytology with that of papillary carcinoma.
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PMID:Follicular adenoma with extensive extracellular mucin deposition: report on two cases. 2323 59