Do galectins play a role in venous thrombosis? a review.

Galectins are a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins that have a high affinity to galactosides on cell surfaces and extra cellular glycoproteins. They are involved in a variety of biological functions, including modulation of cell apoptosis, cell activation and inflammation. Our laboratory has recently identified galectin-3 binding protein (Gal-3BP) as being up-regulated in a microparticle proteomics analysis for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) patients compared to negative controls. P-selectin, another glycoprotein involved in thrombus propagation, has proven a promising target for DVT management and has been widely studied by our group. Galectins are involved in P-selectin expression and can potentially be implicated in the venous thrombogenesis process. The function of galectins, their role in inflammation and thrombosis as well as their potential implications as a new pharmacological target for DVT management are reviewed in this manuscript.