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Galectin-1 is expressed by thymic epithelial cells in myasthenia gravis
- Source :
- Glycoconjugate Journal. 13:591-597
- Publication Year :
- 1996
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 1996.
-
Abstract
- Galectin-1, a member of a family of carbohydrate binding proteins, is synthesized by thymic epithelial cells in normal juvenile thymus, and mediates adhesion of immature T cells to thymic epithelium. Because cell adhesion molecules are proposed to play a role in the thymic hyperplasia and neoplasia seen in the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis, we examined the expression of galectin-1 in myasthenic thymi. We detected abundant galectin-1 expression in thymic epithelial cells in 27 hyperplastic and neoplastic thymi from patients with myasthenia gravis. Primary cultures of neoplastic epithelial cells from a thymoma continued to express galectin-1, and bound immature T cells; T cell binding was inhibited by the addition of the beta-galactosides lactose and thiodigalactoside, suggesting that galectin-1 on the thymoma cells and a saccharide ligand on the T cells participated in cell-cell adhesion. Expression of galectin-1 by thymic epithelial cells may play a role in the thymic pathology seen in myasthenia gravis.
- Subjects :
- Thymoma
Galectin 1
T-Lymphocytes
T cell
Thymus Gland
Biology
Biochemistry
Epithelium
Myasthenia Gravis
Cell Adhesion
Tumor Cells, Cultured
otorhinolaryngologic diseases
medicine
Humans
Cell adhesion
Molecular Biology
Cell adhesion molecule
Epithelial Cells
Cell Biology
Hyperplasia
beta-Galactosidase
medicine.disease
Myasthenia gravis
Hemagglutinins
medicine.anatomical_structure
Galectin-1
Immunology
Cancer research
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15734986 and 02820080
- Volume :
- 13
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Glycoconjugate Journal
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....258ae3bbd5b838c7e139324acbdff06c