How echinoccocosis affects potential cancer markers in plasma: galectin-3, sN-cadherin and sE-cadherin? A preliminary report

Role of Galectins in the Liver Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Galectins, a family of β-galactoside-binding proteins, are related to the development and progression of various human diseases such as cancer, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. However, its role in liver diseases is unclear. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Hazard ratios (HRs), odds ratios (ORs), and mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs were pooled to evaluate the association of the galectins with the outcomes and risk of liver diseases by a random effects model. Results: Thirty three studies involving 43 cohorts and 4,168 patients with liver diseases were included. In the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), high expression of galectin-1 and -3 in the tissues was significantly associated with worse overall survival (galectin-1: HR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.61-2.34, p < 0.001; galectin-3: HR = 3.29, 95% CI = 1.62-6.68, p < 0.001) and positive vascular invasion (galectin-1: OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.18-2.58, p = 0.005; galectin-3: OR = 2.98, 95% CI = 1.58-5.60, p = 0.001); but, high expression of galectin-4 and -9 in the tissues was significantly associated with better overall survival (galectin-4: HR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.36-0.79, p = 0.002; galectin-9: HR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.44-0.71, p < 0.001) and negative vascular invasion (galectin-4: OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.19-0.72, p = 0.003; galectin-9: OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.37-0.97, p = 0.037). Serum galectin-3 level was significantly higher in HCC (MD = 3.06, 95% CI = 1.79-4.32, p < 0.001), liver failure (MD = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.23-0.66, p < 0.001), liver cirrhosis (MD = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.15-2.51, p < 0.001), and chronic active hepatitis B (MD = 18.95, 95% CI = 10.91-27.00, p < 0.001); serum galectin-9 level was significantly higher in HCC (MD = 3.74, 95% CI = 2.57-4.91, p < 0.001) and autoimmune hepatitis (MD = 8.80, 95% CI = 7.61-9.99, p < 0.001). Conclusion: High galectin-1 and -3 and low galectin-4 and -9 expression indicate worse outcomes of patients with HCC. Serum galectin-3 and -9 levels are positively associated with the risk of chronic liver diseases.

Cell-adhesion molecules and their soluble forms: Promising predictors of "tumor progression" and relapse in leukemia

Some surface markers are used to discriminate certain leukemic subpopulations that retain a greater oncogenic potential than others, and, for this reason, they were termed as leukemic stem cells, similar to the concept of cancer stem cells in carcinoma. Among these surface markers are proteins involved in cell-cell adhesion or cell-matrix adhesion, and they may play a role in the relapse of leukemia, similar to metastasis in carcinomas. The most important are epithelial cadherin, neural cadherin, epithelial cell-adhesion molecule, and CD44, which can be cleaved and released, and their soluble forms were found increased in serum levels of cancer patients, being implicated, in some cases, with progression, metastases, and relapse. In this review, we highlighted the role of these four adhesion molecules in carcinomas and hematological malignancies, mainly leukemia, and discuss if the serum levels of soluble forms can be correlated with the surface protein status on the leukemic cells. Accession of the soluble forms looks attractive, but their use as markers in cancer must be studied in association with other parameters, as there are significant changes in levels in other pathological conditions besides cancer. Studies correlating the levels of the forms with the status of the membrane-bound proteins in leukemic (stem) cells and correlating those parameters with relapse in leukemia may afford important knowledge and applicability of those serum markers in clinical practice. For instance, the expression of the membrane-bound forms of these adhesion proteins may have promising clinical use in leukemia and other hematological malignancies.

Beyond a tumor suppressor: Soluble E-cadherin promotes the progression of cancer

E-cadherin (E-cad) plays important roles in tumorigenesis as well as in tumor progression, invasion and metastasis. This protein exists in two forms: a membrane-tethered form and a soluble form. Full-length E-cad is membrane tethered. As a type I transmembrane glycoprotein, E-cad mainly mediates adherens junctions between cells and is involved in maintaining the normal structure of epithelial tissues. Soluble E-cad (sE-cad) is the extracellular fragment of the protein that is cleaved from the membrane after proteolysis of full-length E-cad. The production of sE-cad undermines adherens junctions, causing a reduction in cell aggregation capacity; furthermore, sE-cad can diffuse into the extracellular environment and the blood. As a paracrine/autocrine signaling molecule, sE-cad activates or inhibits multiple signaling pathways and participates in the progression of various types of cancer, such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer, by promoting invasion and metastasis. This article briefly reviews the role of sE-cad in tumorigenesis and tumor progression and its significance in clinical therapeutics.

Role of the interaction between galectin-3 and cell adhesion molecules in cancer metastasis

Galectin-3, a unique chimera-type member of the β-galactoside-binding soluble lectin family, is present in both normal and cancer cells and plays a crucial role in the regulation of cell adhesion. It is involved both in accelerating detachment of cells from primary tumor sites and promoting cancer cell adhesion and survival to anoikis in the blood stream. Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are membrane receptors that mediate cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, and are essential for transducing intracellular signals responsible for adhesion, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and organ-specific metastasis. This review will discuss the recent advances in our understanding the biological functions, mechanism and therapeutic implication of the interaction between galectin-3 and CAMs in cancer metastasis.

Primary cervical hydatid cyst: a rare occurrence

Hydatid disease, a parasitic infection is caused by Echinococcus granulosus. It has serious impact on health and economy especially in countries where it is endemic. It occurs frequently in liver and lung. The disease is chronic and cyst can localize in different organs. A hydatid cyst occurrence in the head and neck is extremely rare. To know the distribution of disease can help in its control and prevention. We report a case of primary cervical hydatid cyst in 20 year old female. A high index of suspicion is required to diagnose hydatid cyst in rare locations like this. Hydatid cyst should be considered in differential diagnosis of benign swellings of head and neck region, so that it can be managed during surgery to prevent acute anaphylaxis.