ANTIGEN TF AND GALECTIN-3 EXPRESSION IN BREAST CARCINOMA

Aims: Breast cancer is a malignant tumor and the second leading cause of cancer mortality in women. The expression of galectins and of the Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen in glycoproteins present in tumors contributes to proliferation and transformation events. Their expression has been reported in aggressive gastric, lung or colorectal tumors.
Methodology: Histochemistry of lectins from Arachis hypogaea, Artocarpus integrifolia and Amaranthus leucocarpus, specific for GalNAc in the TF antigen, immunohistochemistry with anti-galectin-3 antibody and immunofluorescence were used to identify the expression and distribution of the TF antigen and galectin-3in paraffin-embedded blocks from 10 breast tissue samples diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma and 10 healthy tissue samples as a control.
Results: Histochemical and immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated positive expression of galectin-3 in breast carcinoma, mainly in the ducts and stroma; however, in healthy tissue, a weak interaction of anti-galectin was observed in the ducts. Lectins from A. leucocarpus and A. integrifolia recognized ducts in healthy and carcinoma breast samples, whereas lectin from A. hypogaea recognized both the ducts and stroma in healthy as well as in breast carcinoma samples.
Conclusion: Expression of the Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen and galectin-3 in breast cancer suggests that glycosylation plays a relevant role as a post-translational modification of proteins in breast cancer.