Serum Level of Galectin-3 in Patients withOral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction: Galectin-3, a member of the family of ?-galactoside-bindinganimal lectins, has been implicated in tumor invasion and metastasis.Materials and Methods:Using an ELISAkit, we assessed the circulating levelsof galectin-3 in sera from 40 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients and from43 healthy controls.Results:Serum galectin-3 levels in OSCC patients were significantly higher(5.1±2.5 ng/ml) when compared with healthy controls (2.6±3.07 ng/ml, P<0.0005).There was no apparent correlation between serum galectin-3 concentration andclinico-pathological features such as stage, tumor size, nodal status, distant metastasisand histological grade.Conclusion:This result suggests that, in addition to other tests, measurement ofserum galectin-3 concentrations can be utilized as an adjuvant test for establishinga diagnosis of OSCC.

Keywords

• Galectin-3
• Serum
• Oral squamous cell carcinoma