EXPRESSION OF THE 67-KD LAMININ RECEPTOR, GALECTIN-1, AND GALECTIN-3 IN ADVANCED HUMAN UTERINE ADENOCARCINOMA

Alterations of tumor cell interactions with laminin, a basement membra ne glycoprotein, are consistent features of the invasive and metastati c phenotype. Qualitative and quantitative changes in the expression of cell surface laminin-binding proteins have been correlated with the a bility of cancer cells to cross basement membranes during the metastat ic cascade. Such phenotypic modifications are usually associated with poor prognosis. In this study, the authors examined the possibility th at expression of three laminin-binding proteins, the 67-kD laminin rec eptor (67LR), galectin-1, and galectin-3, is altered in human endometr ial cancer in a fashion similar to that reported in other carcinomas, such as breast, colon, and ovarian cancer. Twenty advanced uterine ade nocarcinomas were analyzed for expression of these three molecules usi ng immunoperoxidase staining and specific antibodies. The authors foun d a significant increase in the expression of the 67LR and galectin-1 in cancer cells compared with normal adjacent endometrium (P = .0004 a nd .0022, respectively). As observed in other carcinomas, a significan t down-regulation of galectin-3 expression was found in endometrial ca ncer cells compared with normal mucosa (P = .02). In the galectin-3 po sitive tumors, galectin-3 was detected in the cytoplasm and/or nucleus of cancer cells. Interestingly, tumors in which galectin-3 was detect ed only in the cytoplasm were characterized by deeper invasion of the myometrium than lesions where galectin-3 was found both in nucleus and cytoplasm (P = .02). This study shows an alteration of nonintegrin la minin-binding protein expression in advanced human endometrial cancer. Further studies on larger populations should determine the prognostic value of the detection of these laminin-binding proteins in endometri al carcinoma. Inverse modulation of the 67LR and galectin-3 appears to be a phenotypical feature of invasive carcinoma. Copyright (C) 1996 b y W.B. Saunders Company