The Role of Galectin-3 in The Diagnosis and Evaluation of Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that primarily affects small joints, leading to joint inflammation, pain, and limited mobility. New biomarkers specific to RA could facilitate early diagnosis and treatment, while also enabling better monitoring of disease activity and treatment response.  By ELISA, galectin-3 (gal-3) level was measured in 133 patients with inflammatory arthritis to determine the diagnostic value of gal-3 in the diagnosis of RA and evaluate the disease activity. Serum gal-3 levels were significantly higher in RA patients compared to patients with other types of inflammatory arthritis. According to CDAI, DAS-28 ESR, and DAS-28 CRP, gal-3 showed positive correlations with disease activity scores. Galectin-3 at a cut-off value of ≥ 2.4 ng/ml, revealed 89% sensitivity, 91% specificity, and an AUC of 0.893. There was a significant correlation between gal-3 and the age of RA patients, while no significant correlations were observed with gender, BMI, and smoking index. Notably, gal-3 levels correlated significantly with CRP, RF titer, and ACPA levels. Therefore, gal-3 can be considered a valuable biomarker for the diagnosis of  RA and evaluating the disease activity.