Immunohistochemical localization of galectin-3 in the granulomatous lesions of paratuberculosis-infected bovine intestine.

Juyeon Lee, Changjong Moon, Jihoon Kim, Chanwoo Jung, Keun-Hwa Lee, Hong-Gu Joo, Meejung Ahn, Taekyun Shin

Index: J. Vet. Sci. 10 , 177-80, (2009)

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Abstract

The presence of galectin-3 was immunohistochemically quantified in bovine intestines infected with paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) to determine whether galectin-3 was involved in the formation of granulation tissue associated with the disease. Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection was histochemically confirmed using Ziehl-Neelsen staining and molecularly diagnosed through rpoB DNA sequencing. Galectin-3 was detected in the majority of inflammatory cells, possibly macrophages, in the granulomatous lesions within affected tissues, including the ileum. These findings suggest that galectin-3 is associated with the formation of chronic granulation tissues in bovine paratuberculosis, probably through cell adhesion and anti-apoptosis mechanisms.