Galectin-1 inhibits the viability, proliferation, and Th1 cytokine production of nonmalignant T cells in patients with leukemic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Tumor-derived galectin-1 (Gal-1), a β-galactoside-binding S-type lectin, has been shown to encourage T-cell death and promote T cell-mediated tumor immune escape. In this report, we show that patients with leukemic cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, known to have limited complexity of their T-cell repertoires, have a predominant T helper type-2 (Th2) cytokine profile and significantly elevated plasma levels of Gal-1 compared with healthy controls. Circulating clonal malignant T cells were a major source of Gal-1. The conditioned supernatant of cultured malignant T cells induced a β-galactoside-dependent inhibition of normal T-cell proliferation and a Th2 skewing of cytokine production. These data implicate Gal-1 in development of the Th2 phenotype in patients with advanced-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and highlight the Gal-1-Gal-1 ligand axis as a potential therapeutic target for enhancing antitumor immune responses.