Galectin-3 expression in normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic endometrial tissues

This study evaluated the expression of galectin-3 in 101 curettage specimens from normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic endometrial tissues using immunohistochemistry. The histologic diagnoses were as follows: normal proliferative (n = 8) and secretory (n = 4) phase, simple hyperplasia (SH, n = 16), complex hyperplasia without atypia (CH, n = 11), atypical hyperplasia (AH, n = 13), endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EC, n = 35), serous papillary carcinoma (SPC, n = 10), and clear cell carcinoma (CC, n = 4). Immunostaining was scored with regard to the approximate percentage of positive tumor cells and relative staining intensity. The scores of immunostaining increased significantly from NE, SH, CH, and AH to the adenocarcinomas (ANOVA, p < 0.0001). Subsequently, three significantly different levels of galectin-3 expression were found (Newman-Keuls multiple comparison test). These consisted of (a) NE, SH, and CH, (b) AH and EC, and (c) SPC and CC. Galectin-3 expression increased with tumor grade (ANOVA, p = 0.0026). The scores of FIGO stages I to III did not differ significantly (ANOVA, p = 0.1687). Enhanced nuclear galectin-3 expression was noted in carcinomas, immunostaining of stromal cells decreased in the latter. This study shows that galectin-3 expression increases from normal and hyperplastic to atypical hyperplastic and cancerous states of endometrial tissues, and provides further evidence of a relationship between AH and EC.