[Polymorphism on codon 98 of the galectin-3 gene is not associated to benign and malignant thyroid tumors].

Galectin-3 is a multifunctional protein highly expressed in thyroid cancer. The galectin-3 gene (LGALS3) has several annotated candidates SNPs, however the relationship between galectin-3 SNPs and specific phenotypic variations relevant to health has not been evaluated. In this study, we investigated SNPs in the galectin-3 gene and a putative association with thyroid tumorigenesis. The presence of LGALS3 SNPs in thyroid carcinoma cell lines (NPA, TPC-1, WRO, ARO), thyroid tissues of 55 patients with multinodular goiter or papillary carcinoma diagnosis and lymphocytes of peripheral blood of 45 healthy individuals was evaluated by sequencing and SSCP. The analysis of LGALS3 coding sequence showed that the T98P site presents a great genotypic variation, since we observed both homozygous (AA or CC) and heterozygous (AC) patterns. In thyroid carcinoma cell lines, the genotype of NPA in the LGALS3 T98P site is CC, while TPC-1, WRO and ARO are AC. The genotypic frequency of T98P SNP observed in multinodular goiter (AC= 67%; AA= 23%; CC= 10%) and papillary carcinoma (AC= 68%; AA= 20%; CC= 12%) were similar to the frequency observed in the control population (AC= 60%, AA= 24%, CC= 16%). In conclusion, no association between LGALS3 T98P genotype and the phenotype of the benign or malignant thyroid tumor was observed.