Expression patterns of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in nasal polyps and middle and inferior turbinates in relation to growth regulation and immunosuppression

Abstract

Background: The term nasal polyposis describes benign growth processes in the nasal and sinus mucosa, which are mainly located in the middle meatus and never in the inferior meatus. As a step to define the biochemical determinants relevant for growth regulation, we focused on endogenous lectins known for antiapoptotic (galectin-3) and immunomodulatory (galectin-1) activities. Design: Using computer-assisted microscopy, we performed an immunohistochemical investigation defining the quantitative parameters of expression of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in 10 nasal polyps, 10 middle turbinates, and 10 inferior turbinates, all of which were obtained from surgical resection. Results: Our data show that galectin-3 expression is markedly (P