Abstract
We performed this study to investigate the possibility of a definitive pattern of Galectin-3 (Gal-3) expression in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients. In our study, we collected the CSF and serum samples of 31 AD patients, 19 ALS patients and 50 normal healthy subjects (controls). Quantitative ELISA measured Gal-3 concentrations in CSF and serum samples. A comparative analysis was performed to analyze and understand the Gal-3 expression pattern. A number of neuropsychological assessments and statistical analyses were carried out to validate our findings. Recent researches have established the role of galectins in various neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs), but a definitive pattern of galectin expression is still elusive. A significant difference was observed in serum and CSF Gal-3 concentrations between AD patients and healthy controls. The difference in serum and CSF Gal-3 concentrations between ALS patients vs. controls was lesser as compared to AD patients vs. controls. The difference in serum and CSF Gal-3 concentrations of AD vs. ALS patients was not significant. The MMSE score and serum and CSF Gal-3 concentrations in AD and ALS patients, and controls exhibited a significant positive correlation. The findings of the present study are expected to provide an insight into the definitive pattern of Gal-3 expression in AD and ALS patients, and might thus establish Gal-3 as a strong biomarker. This in turn will open up new and promising research avenues targeting the expression of galectins to modulate the progression of NDDs, and pave the way for novel therapeutic options.
Highlights
Galectins are mammalian class of an otherwise large family, lectin, and characterized as glycoproteins, which have been reported to be expressed in almost all vital organs and involved in almost all significant biological functions (Hasan et al, 2007; Viguier et al, 2014)
Gal-3 has been reported to exhibit an altered pattern of expression in patients suffering from NDDs like AD, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Abbreviations: AD, Alzheimer’s disease; AGEs, advanced glycation end products; ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; ANOVA, analysis of variance; CNS, central nervous system; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; FOME, Fuld object memory evaluation; LSD, least square difference; MMSE, Mini Mental Status Examination; NDDs, neurodegenerative disorders; PD, Parkinson’s disease; ROC, receiver operating characteristic; SE, sensitivity; SKT, short cognitive test; TBI, traumatic brain injury; TMT, trail making test; VaD, vascular dementia
We investigated the expression pattern of Gal-3 levels in serum and CSF of AD and ALS patients, and tried to explore the potential associations with the clinical symptoms of these disorders
Summary
Galectins are mammalian class of an otherwise large family, lectin, and characterized as glycoproteins, which have been reported to be expressed in almost all vital organs and involved in almost all significant biological functions (Hasan et al, 2007; Viguier et al, 2014). Gal-3 has been identified in central as well as peripheral nervous system in Schwann cells, endothelial cells, microglia/macrophages, and astrocytes; and the activation of endothelial cells and microglia has been intricately associated with AD pathogenesis (Zlokovic, 2008; Ottum et al, 2015). These studies proclaim elevated Gal-3 expression pattern in AD and ALS patients. The idea of the proposed research study cropped from the above-mentioned reports suggesting altered expression level of Gal-3 in various NDDs. The detrimental role of Gal-3 in diseases like ALS and AD suggest that lysosomal dysfunctions combined with reduced autophagy can further stimulate neurodegeneration. The findings of the present study suggesting a definitive Gal-3 expression pattern in serum as well as CSF samples of AD and ALS patients will firmly affirm the role of Gal-3 as potential biomarker for these diseases
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