Evaluation of Serum Levels and Expression of Galectin-4 in Cervical Cancer

Abstract

Galectin-4 has been reported to be altered in different cancer types. Its expression changes have been associated with early recurrence and metastasis. In cervical cancer (CC), galectin-4 has not been studied. The aim of the study was to determine the expression level and subcellular localization of galectin-4 in CC tissue and the concentration in the serum of patients with CC. For the analysis of serum levels of galectin-4, an ELISA assay was performed. To assess the expression in cervical tissue, immunohistochemical staining was performed. The results showed that the concentration of galectin-4 in the serum of patients with CC was higher (647.9 pg/ml) than that in the serum of women with normal cytology (382.1 pg/ml). The immunohistochemical analysis of CC samples showed a higher expression in keratinizing tumor than nonkeratinizing tumors and a trend of increased expression in tumors from patients with advanced clinical stage. In normal cervical tissue, galectin-4 was detected in the cytoplasm, and in tumor cells, the presence of galectin-4 was also detected in the nucleus, in both adenocarcinoma and squamous cervical cancer. The increase in serum concentration and different localization in the tumor cells suggest a possible role of galectin-4 in CC development.