Galectin-1: a Potential Biomarker Differentiating Between Early Rheumatoid Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis

Abstract

Background: Galectin 1 (Gal1) is a lectin highly expressed in immune cells that plays a key immunoregulatory role in autoimmunity and resolution of chronic inflammation. Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are a broad group of disorders that share pathogenic mechanisms involving components of acquired and innate immunity. Although IMIDs can develop at onset similar features such as peripheral arthritis, they show differences in their evolution and response to treatments. Therefore, additional diagnostic biomarkers are needed in order to get a better classification of patients with early arthritis, especially those not fulfilling specific classification criteria. In this regard, we have recently described that Gal1 serum levels are increased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients compared to healthy donors (HD). Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate Gal1 levels in serum and synovial fluid from spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients in comparison with RA patients in order to determine their value as a diagnostic biomarker.Methods: We studied Gal1 levels in serum samples from SpA (n=55) and RA patients (n=52). In addition, 49 HD were studied. We also measured Gal1 synovial fluid levels in RA (n=26), osteoarthritis (OA) (n=26) and peripheral SpA (n=26). In SpA patients, clinical parameters were also collected in order to evaluate their association with Gal1 serum levels. Results: We found that SpA patients showed significantly lower Gal1 serum levels than RA patients and similar levels to the general population. In SpA patients, Gal1 synovial fluid levels were similar to those of OA patients and significantly lower than in RA patients. In addition, we did not find any correlation between Gal1 serum levels and clinical parameters of severity in SpA patients.Conclusions: Our results suggest that Gal1 might be a potential diagnostic biomarker of RA that could allow distinguishing between SpA and RA patients.

Galectin-1 in Psoriatic arthritis, Psoriasis, Rheumatoid arthritis and its relation with disease activity and skin lesion

“…o e er, many authors as Mart ne et al, 2020 reported that gal-1 can prevent agedependent autoimmunity indicating its important role in mediating tolerance. 1,33 In our study, we found a significant difference as regards serum gal-1 levels in RA group in comparison to PsA group and the control group. This agreed with Triguero-Martínez et al, 2022, 1 Mendez-Huergo et al, 2019 9 and Vilar et al, 2019, 34 as they reported that gal-1 level in RA patients was significantly increase compared to controls and PsA.…”

“…However, the systemic immune response is less marked in PsA which is not associated with elevation of inflammatory markers along with the absence of any specific autoantibodies which means that although PsA has autoinflammatory nature it is still lacking any evidence of autoimmune reactivity. Using new laboratory markers as gal-1, if proved useful, can be used in distinguishing between these two diseases aiming to decide the correct therapy for each of them 1,31,32 Therefore, this study aimed to determine the possibility of using gal-1 as a diagnostic marker to discriminate between RA and PsA with polyarthritis pattern, and between PsA and Ps, and to assess its relationship with disease activity and with skin lesion. The relation between age and sex in RA and gal-1 had been studied by many authors, as Triguero-Martínez, et al, 2022 1 who could not find a difference between patients and control group which agreed with our study finding.…”

“…IMIDs share pathogenic mechanisms in innate and adaptive immunity that cause peripheral arthritis. 1 RA is the most prevalent chronic autoimmune disease that primary affects small joints of hand leading to bone, cartilage, and articular deformities. 2 Many cytokines and effector cells infiltrate the synovial membrane leading to synovitis which is the hallmark of RA.…”

“…7 Although these diseases have common early manifestations with superficial similarity, but they have significant differences at many levels, leading to different outcomes and different responses to therapies due to their different pathogenesis. 1 Galectins are a family of lectins that play a main role in regulation of immune system through various effects in both physiological and pathological processes. 8 They have become one of the leading immune system homeostasis controllers, amplifying or suppressing inflammatory processes, respectively.…”

“…12 Gal-1 can down regulates the level of IL-17 and IL-23 leading to increase the profile of RA, however, in PsA there is exacerbation of Th1/Th17 effector cells, and up regulation of IL-17 and IL-23 leading to direct depression of gal-1. 1 The aim of our study was to determine the possibility of using gal-1 as a diagnostic marker to discriminate between RA and PsA with polyarthritis pattern, and between PsA and Ps, and to assess its relationship with disease activity and with skin lesion.…”