Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most frequent cause of cancer death worldwide,with an estimated mortality rate of about one million deaths annually. Galectin-3 is widely spreadamong different types of cells and tissues, galectin-3 also found intracellularly in nucleus andcytoplasm. Galectin-3 affects numerous biological processes and seems to be involved in differentphysiological and pathophysiological conditions, such as development, immune reactions, andneoplastic transformation and metastasis. In this study, we found over expression of galectin-3 proteinand mRNA, in HCC tissue compared with normal liver tissue. In addition, we found expression ofgalectin-3 in the nuclear protein fraction. The overexpression of galectin-3 was accompanied withelevated levels of serum nitrite and aminotransferases (AST and ALT). Conclusion: Galectin-3 mightbe a potential therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.Moreover, the nucleo/cytoplasmic shuttling of gal-3 might play a role in inhibition and/or regulationof gene expression related to cancer. |
