目的：探讨半乳糖凝集素-9（galectin-9）在食管鳞状细胞癌（esophageal squamous cell cancer，ESCC）组织及癌旁组织中的表达及对ESCC细胞迁移和侵袭能力的影响。方法：收集山东大学附属济南市中心医院胸外科于2012年1月至2013年1月期间手术切除的ESCC患者组织标本89例及距癌组织边缘5 cm以上的癌旁组织标本20例，采用免疫组化法检测ESCC及癌旁组织中galectin-9蛋白的表达，并分析其与患者性别、年龄、浸润深度、肿瘤大小、分化程度、病理分期（pTNM）及淋巴结转移等临床病理特征之间的关系。采用脂质体介导法将pcDNA3.1-galectin-9转染食管癌EC9706细胞系，运用细胞划痕愈合实验和Transwell侵袭实验，检测galectin-9表达上调对食管癌EC9706细胞迁移、侵袭能力的影响。结果： ESCC组织中galectin-9蛋白的阳性表达率明显低于癌旁组织\[25.8%(23/89) vs 50%(10/20)，P＜0.05\]，galectin-9蛋白的表达与ESCC患者肿瘤分化程度及淋巴结转移相关（均P＜0.05）,而与患者性别、年龄、肿瘤大小、浸润深度及病理分期无关（均P＞0.05）。在食管癌EC9706细胞中过表达galectin-9后，与阴性对照组相比，肿瘤细胞的侵袭\[（45.0±8.0） vs （160.0±12.0），P＜0.01\]和迁移能力\[（20.6±2.1） vs （87.6±4.9），P<0.05\]明显下降。结论： galectin-9的表达缺失参与了食管癌的发生、发展，galectin-9可以抑制ESCC细胞的侵袭及迁移。

Objective:To explore expressions of galectin-9 in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) and para-carcinoma tissues and its effect on migration and invasion abilities of ESCC cells. Methods: Eighty nine samples of ESCC tissues and twenty samples of para-carcinoma tissues that are far from the the carcinoma tissue margin 5 cm or more which were resected from the patients with ESCC in Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ji’nan Central Hospital affiliated to Shandong University during January, 2012 to January, 2013 were collected. Immunohistochemistry assay was used to detect expressions of galectin-9 protein in the ESCC and the para-carcinoma tissues. Their relationships with clinical pathological features of the patients, such as genders, ages, invasion depths, tumor sizes, differentiated degrees, pathological stages (pTNM), lymphatic metastasis and so on were analyzed. pcDNA3.1-galectin-9 was transfected into human esophageal carcinoma EC9706 line cells with liposome mediated method. Effect of up-regulation expression of galectin-9 on migration and invasion abilities of the EC9706 cells were detected by cell scratch healing test and Transwell invasion assay. Results: Positive rate of galectin-9 protein expression in the ESCC tissues was obviously lower than that in the para-carcinoma tissues (25.8% \[23/89\] vs 50% \[10/20\], P<0.05). Expressions of galectin-9 protein and carcinoma differentiated degrees, lymphatic metastasis in the patients with ESCC related (all P<0.05), and genders, ages, tumor sizes, invasion depths, pTMN in the patients with ESCC did not related (P>0.05). After over expression of galectin-9 protein in the EC9706 cells, invasion and migration abilities of the carcinoma cells decreased significantly, comparing with negative control group (invasion ability: \[45.0±8.0\] vs \[160.0±12.0\], P<0.01; migration ability: \[20.6±2.1\] vs \[87.6±4.9\], P<0.05). Conclusion:Absence of galectin-9 expression might involve in occurrence and development of the esophageal carcinoma, galectin-9 could inhibit invasion and migration of the ESCC cells.