Pattern Analysis of Serum Galectins-1, -3, and -9 in Breast Cancer

SIMPLE SUMMARY: This study aims to understand the role of galectins by breast cancer subtype and their change in response to cancer treatment. Galectins are proteins involved in cancer growth, metastasis, immune evasion, and cell division. Galectin-1, -3, and -9 levels were measured in breast cancer patients using a technique called ELISA and analyzed for their relationship with tumor characteristics such as stage, subtype, and receptor expression. The study found that galectin-9 levels were significantly increased in HER2-enriched tumors but reduced in hormone-receptor-positive tumors, while galectin-1 levels were higher in patients who underwent systemic cancer therapy. These findings provide valuable insights into galectin changes during cancer progression, treatment response, and tumor biology. They have implications for future research on therapeutic targets using galectin inhibitors and the use of galectin biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring breast cancer. ABSTRACT: Galectins have been shown to have roles in cancer progression via their contributions to angiogenesis, metastasis, cell division, and the evasion of immune destruction. This study analyzes galectin-1, -3, and -9 serum concentrations in breast cancer patients through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against the characteristics of the patient and the tumor such as stage, molecular subtype, and receptor expression. Galectin-9 was found to be statistically significantly increased in HER2-enriched tumors and reduced in patients with hormone-receptor-positive tumors. Galectin-1 was found to be statistically significantly increased in the serum of patients who had undergone hormonal, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy. These findings provide insight into the changes in galectin levels during the progress of cancer, the response to treatment, and the molecular phenotype. These findings are valuable in the further understanding of the relationships between galectin and tumor biology and can inform future research on therapeutic targets for galectin inhibitors and the utility of galectin biomarkers.