Plasma Galectin-7 (Gal-7) and Galectin-8 (Gal-8) as Emerging Biomarkers in Psoriasis: Associations with Disease Activity and Metabolic Status

TL;DR

This study finds that plasma levels of galectin-7 and galectin-8 are elevated in psoriasis patients and may serve as potential biomarkers for disease activity and metabolic status.

Contribution

The study identifies galectin-7 as a novel biomarker for psoriasis severity and galectin-8 as a potential indicator of metabolic status.

Findings

Plasma galectin-7 levels are significantly higher in psoriasis patients and correlate with disease severity (PASI).

Galectin-7 shows strong predictive power for psoriasis with high sensitivity and specificity.

Galectin-8 is elevated in psoriasis patients and correlates with glucose levels but not with disease severity.

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated skin disorder characterized by accelerated epidermal turnover. Galectins are a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins that play crucial roles in various biological processes. Methods: This study aimed to assess the plasma concentrations of galectin 7 and 8 (gal-7 and 8) in 60 psoriatic patients compared to the control group of 30 individuals without dermatoses. Results: The median gal-7 plasma concentration in patients was 188.8 (11.43–1406) pg/mL, and it was significantly higher than in controls (p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between gal-7 concentration and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI; R = 0.3, p = 0.0199), and a negative with RBC (R = −0.41, p < 0.001), hemoglobin concentration (R = −0.34, p < 0.01), total cholesterol (R = −0.38, p < 0.01) and LDL concentration (R = −0.36, p < 0.05). In contrast, gal-7 was not correlated with psoriasis duration or patients’ age or sex (p > 0.05). The median gal-8 plasma concentration in patients was 0.07 (0.02–0.5) ng/mL, and was significantly higher in patients than controls (p < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between gal-8 concentration and glucose concentration (R = 0.26, p < 0.05). Gal-8 concentration was not correlated with PASI, BMI, age or sex of patients (p > 0.05). We also analyzed the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate the predictive power of gal-7 and 8 for psoriasis. Gal-7 achieved statistical significance in predicting psoriasis and had an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.842 (p < 0.001), a sensitivity of 80%, and a specificity of 86.7%, whereas gal-8 had an AUC value of 0.644 (p = 0.025), a sensitivity of 81%, and a specificity of 47%. Conclusions: Gal-7 and gal-8 could potentially serve as psoriasis biomarkers, whereby gal-7 could also serve as a marker of its severity. Future studies are needed to clarify their actual role or potential as therapeutic targets in psoriasis. Understanding their precise functions may open new perspectives for personalized treatment strategies in psoriatic patients.

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