GALECTIN 3 EXPRESSION AND ITS ROLE IN HOST RESPONSE TO THE PATHOGENESIS OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori is a major etiological agent which is strongly associated with the risk of developing peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a multifunctional ?-galactoside lectin which is widely expressed in gastric epithelial cells. Gal-3 is upregulated and rapidly secreted as a host response to H. pylori infection. The current study characterizes the cellular dynamics; expression as well as functional roles of Gal-3 in modulating crucial host responses in H. pylori infected gastric epithelial cells. In this study, Gal-3 was found to be upregulated and exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in H. pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells. More over Gal-3 was found to modulate the inflammatory and proliferative response during H. pylori infection by interfering with various intercellular signalling pathways.