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Elevated plasma galectin-3 levels and their correlation with disease activity in adult-onset Still’s disease

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Clinical Rheumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

With galectin-3 playing an important role in inflammatory responses, elevated galectin-3 levels have been shown in patients with autoimmune diseases. However, there are limited data regarding galectin-3 expression in patients with autoinflammatory diseases such as adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD). This study aimed to investigate the extracellular galectin-3 expression and examine its association with activity parameters and disease outcome in AOSD patients.

Method

Plasma levels of galectin-3 and inflammasome downstream cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 were determined by ELISA in 42 active AOSD patients and 20 healthy controls (HC). The protein levels of galectin-3 and cytokines were determined using immunoblotting.

Results

Plasma levels of galectin-3 and inflammasome downstream cytokines including IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly higher in AOSD patients (median 5.02 ng/ml, interquartile range [IQR] 3.12–7.88 ng/ml; 3.42 pg/ml, IQR 1.48–6.70 pg/ml; and 5758 pg/ml, IQR 859-11,895 pg/ml, respectively) compared with HC (1.86 ng/ml, IQR 1.09–2.89 ng/ml; 0.99 pg/ml, IQR 0.62–1.35 pg/ml; and 129 pg/ml, IQR 71-155 pg/ml, respectively, all p < 0.001). Plasma galectin-3 levels were positively correlated with clinical activity scores, inflammatory parameters values, and the levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in AOSD patients. AOSD patients with systemic pattern had significantly higher galectin-3 levels (median 6.08 ng/ml, IQR 4.01–9.54 ng/ml) compared with those with chronic articular pattern (3.56 ng/ml, IQR 3.04–4.98 ng/ml, p < 0.05). After 6-month therapy, galectin-3 levels significantly declined, paralleling the decreases in clinical activity scores and plasma levels of IL-1β and IL-18.

Conclusions

Elevated galectin-3 levels and their positive correlation with disease activity scores, inflammatory parameter, and inflammasome downstream cytokines suggest the involvement of galectin-3 in AOSD pathogenesis.

Key Points

• We revealed for the first time the association of plasma galectin-3 levels with AOSD activity parameters.

• We explored the link between galectin-3 levels and NLRP3-inflammasome downstream cytokines in AOSD disease.

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Funding

This work was supported by a grant from China Medical University Hospital (DMR-108-165) and by a grant (MOST 107-2314-B-039-053-MY3) from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Translational Medicine Laboratory, Rheumatic Diseases Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

    Po-Ku Chen, Ching-Kun Chang & Der-Yuan Chen

  2. College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Po-Ku Chen, Joung-Liang Lan, Ju-Pi Li, Ching-Kun Chang, Shih-Hsin Chang, Po-Hao Huang, Kai-Jieh Yeo & Der-Yuan Chen

  3. Rheumatic Diseases Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan

    Joung-Liang Lan & Ju-Pi Li

  4. Rheumatology and Immunology Center, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2, Yude Road, Taichung, 40447, Taiwan

    Joung-Liang Lan, Shih-Hsin Chang, Po-Hao Huang, Kai-Jieh Yeo & Der-Yuan Chen

  5. Ph.D. Program in Translational Medicine and Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Der-Yuan Chen

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  1. Po-Ku Chen
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Contributions

PKC conceived and designed the study; acquired the clinical data; performed the data analysis, drafting, and revising of the manuscript. JLL performed the clinical assessment as well as data acquisition and statistical analysis. JPL and CKC performed the data analysis and statistical analysis. SHC, PHH, and KJY performed the clinical assessments on study subjects and acquired the clinical data. DYC conceived and designed the study, generated the original hypothesis, acquired the clinical data, performed the data analysis, and also revised the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Der-Yuan Chen.

Ethics declarations

The Institutional Review Board of our hospital approved this study (CMUH107-REC3-094), and each participant’s written consent was obtained according to the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Chen, PK., Lan, JL., Li, JP. et al. Elevated plasma galectin-3 levels and their correlation with disease activity in adult-onset Still’s disease. Clin Rheumatol 39, 1945–1952 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-020-04946-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-020-04946-3

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