Galectin-1 and galectin-3: Plausible tumour markers for oral squamous cell carcinoma and suitable targets for screening high-risk population

Background: Galectins are a family of carbohydrate binding proteins that regulate several cellular functions such as growth, migration, adhesion and apoptosis. Methods: We investigated the expression of galectin (gal)-1 and galectin (gal)-3 in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and observed their effects on growth and survival of OSCC cell lines. Results: OSCC patients expressed significantly higher levels of gal-1 and gal-3 in circulation (p < 0.0001) and at the tumour sites (p < 0.01) as compared to controls. Patients with higher tumour load showed significantly higher expression of both galectins than those with lower tumour load. In ROC analysis, serum levels of gal-1 and gal-3 at cut-off values of 4.875 and 0.871 ng/ml respectively, discriminated between healthy subjects and patients with more than 80% sensitivity and specificity. Similarly, logistic regression analysis revealed about 3-times higher risk of OSCC in subjects over expressing these proteins. Further, exogenous gal-1 and gal-3 significantly increased survival, proliferation and angiogenesis in OSCC cell lines. Conclusions: Serum levels of gal-1 and gal-3 may serve as plausible markers for oral squamous cell carcinoma and may be useful in screening population at a higher risk. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.