Depression in type 1 diabetes was associated with high levels of circulating galectin-3

Abstract

ObjectiveNeuroinflammatory responses are implicated in depression. The aim was to explore whether depression in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) was associated with high circulating galectin-3, controlling for metabolic variables, s-creatinine, life style factors, medication and cardiovascular complications.DesignCross-sectional.MethodsParticipants were T1D patients (n = 283, 56% men, age 18–59 years, diabetes duration ≥1 year). Depression was assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-depression subscale. Blood samples, anthropometrics and blood pressure were collected, and supplemented with data from medical records and the Swedish National Diabetes Registry. Galectin-3 ≥2.562 µg/l, corresponding to the 85th percentile, was defined as high galectin-3.ResultsMedian (quartile1, quartile3) galectin-3 (µg/l) was 1.3 (0.8, 2.9) for the 30 depressed patients, and 0.9 (0.5, 1.6) for the 253 non-depressed, P = 0.009. Depression was associated with high galectin-3 in all the 283 patients (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.5), in the 161 men (AOR 3.4), and in the 122 women (AOR 3.9). HbA1c, s-lipids, s-creatinine, blood pressure, obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, cardiovascular complications and drugs (antihypertensive, lipid lowering, oral antidiabetic drugs and antidepressants) were not associated with high galectin-3.ConclusionsThis is the first study to show an association between depression and galectin-3. Depression was the only explored parameter associated with high circulating galectin-3 levels in 283 T1D patients. High galectin-3 levels might contribute to the increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality observed in persons with depression. Potentially, in the future, treatment targeting galactin-3 might improve the prognosis for patients with high galectin-3 levels.

Soluble CD163 was linked to galectin-3, diabetic retinopathy and antidepressants in type 1 diabetes

“…In these patients with T1D, we have previously shown that depression was associated with increased galectin-3 ( 23 ), a soluble β-galactoside-binding lectin, which is expressed in several cells such as activated macrophages and microglia, and is implicated in a variety of biological processes including neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration ( 24 , 25 , 26 ).…”

Low levels of soluble TWEAK, indicating on-going inflammation, were associated with depression in type 1 diabetes: a cross-sectional study

“…The depressed patients did not exhibit lower levels of physical activity than the non-depressed [31] -as signs of lethargy -which is characteristic for atypical depression [5]. We have also shown in these patients with T1D that high levels of galectin-3 [32] and HbA1c [33], and low levels of HDL-cholesterol were associated with depression [31].…”

“…In the further analyses we chose to define low sTWEAK as levels below the 70 th percentile, as this definition of low sTWEAK showed the highest association with depression. We have previously performed the same procedure for galectin-3 which showed that galectin-3 levels above the 85 th percentile showed the highest association with depression [32].…”

“…Each statement has four response alternatives with scores from 0 to 3. The recommended cut-off level was used to define depression as in our previous research: ≥8 points [28,29,[31][32][33]. A major characteristic of HADS-D is that potential symptoms of somatic disease are not included [34].…”

“…Low sTWEAK levels were defined as <7.1 ng/ml. High galectin-3 levels were defined as ≥2.562 µg/l as in our previous research [32].…”