Galectin‐4 serves as a prognostic biomarker for the early recurrence / metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Cancer Science

Zhixiong Cai¹  Yongyi Zeng¹  Bo Xu¹  Yunzhen Gao¹  Sen Wang¹  Jinhua Zeng¹  Lihong Chen¹  Aimin Huang¹  Xiaolong Liu¹ 

[1] Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China

关键词: Early recurrence/metastasis;    galectin‐4;    hepatitis B virus (HBV);    hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC);    prognostic biomarker;   

DOI  :  10.1111/cas.12536

来源: Wiley

【 摘 要 】

Abstract

Galectin-4 is a multifunctional lectin found at both intracellular and extracellular sites. It could serve as a tumor suppressor intracellularly and promote tumor metastases extracellularly during colorectal cancer development. However, galectin-4 expression and its prognostic value for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been well investigated. Here we report that galectin-4 was significantly downregulated in early recurrent/metastatic HCC patients, when compared to non-recurrent/metastatic HCC patients. Low expression of gelectin-4 was well associated with larger tumor size, microvascular invasion, malignant differentiation, more advanced TNM stage, and poor prognosis. Cancer cell migration and invasion could be significantly reduced through overexpression of galectin-4, but upregulated by knocking down of galectin-4 in vitro. Moreover, the serum galectin-4 level could be significantly elevated solely by hepatitis B virus infection. Combined with clinicopathological features, the higher serologic level of galectin-4 was well associated with more aggressive characteristics of HCC. Taken together, galectin-4 expression closely associates with HCC progression and might have potential use as a prognostic biomarker for HCC patients.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC   
© 2014 The Authors. Cancer Science published by Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

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