Decreased Galectin-8 Is a Strong Marker for Recurrence in Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder

Objective: To investigate galectin-8 expression patterns in normal urothelium and bladder cancer specimens and to elucidate its prognostic value. Materials and Methods: 162 samples of non-muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma, 25 samples of muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma and 10 samples of normal urothelium were investigated by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays. Complete patient and tumor characteristics were compared with galectin-8 staining patterns. The likelihood of tumor recurrence and progression was analyzed based on a 3-year follow-up. Results: Loss of galectin-8 was associated with the likelihood of tumor recurrence in univariate (p Conclusions: Loss of galectin-8 might be an early step in the development of malignant lesions of the bladder and is a significant independent predictor of recurrence.