Current Oncology (Feb 2023)

Gal-3 Protein Expression and Localization in Prostate Tumours

  • Tânia Lima,
  • Catarina Macedo-Silva,
  • Diana Felizardo,
  • João Fraga,
  • Isa Carneiro,
  • Carmen Jerónimo,
  • Rui Henrique,
  • Margarida Fardilha,
  • Rui Vitorino

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30030206
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 30, no. 3
pp. 2729 – 2742

Abstract

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Gal-3 plays an important role in cell survival, mRNA splicing, and cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions. Depending on its cellular localization and cancer type, Gal-3 may have tumour-suppressive or tumour-promoting activities. Given the promising diagnostic role of Gal-3 in the urine of PCa patients found in our previous study, its concordant gene and protein expression levels, and its involvement in PCa-related biological processes (e.g., morphogenesis of the prostate gland epithelium), we aimed to investigate this protein immunohistochemically in tumour and normal prostate tissues. Gal-3 protein expression was evaluated in 48 tumour prostate tissues, eight normal prostate tissues and 14 adjacent-normal prostate tissues. Decreased Gal-3 staining was detected in tumour tissues compared with normal tissues. Although Gal-3 staining was decreased in tumour tissues with GS 5-8 and pT2 and pT3 stages compared with normal prostate tissue, no correlation was found between Gal-3 expression and PCa progression. In the present study, the pattern of cellular localization differed between groups, as Gal-3 was predominantly excluded from the nucleus in tumour tissues. Furthermore, Gal-3 had no significant effect on survival and relapse in these PCa patients. This work confirms Gal-3 as a promising marker for PCa diagnosis.

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