Galectin-3 is upregulated in frontotemporal dementia patients with subtype specificity
Sergi Borrego-Écija1, Agnès Pérez-Millan1,2, Anna Antonell1
1Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders Unit. Service of Neurology, Fundació Recerca Clínic Barcelona-IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Alzheimer'S & Dementia : the Journal of the Alzheimer'S Association
|November 29, 2023
Summary
Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is elevated in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients, especially in brain and CSF. This finding suggests Gal-3 may serve as a diagnostic biomarker for FTD, particularly in MAPT mutation carriers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomarker Research
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
Background:
- Neuroinflammation significantly drives frontotemporal dementia (FTD) progression.
- Galectin-3 (Gal-3) regulates microglial activation and is a potential therapeutic target and biomarker for FTD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Galectin-3 (Gal-3) levels in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
- To assess the diagnostic potential of Gal-3 as a biomarker for FTD.
Main Methods:
- Examined Gal-3 levels in brain tissue, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from FTD patients and controls.
- Performed multiple linear regressions to correlate Gal-3 levels with other FTD markers.
Main Results:
- Significantly increased Gal-3 levels were observed in FTD patients, particularly in brain tissue and CSF.
- Gal-3 levels were higher in FTD cases with tau pathology compared to TAR-DNA Binding Protein 43 (TDP-43) pathology.
- Increased CSF Gal-3 levels were found in MAPT mutation carriers, correlating with total tau and 14-3-3 levels.
Conclusions:
- Galectin-3 shows potential as a diagnostic marker for frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
- Gal-3 may be particularly useful in diagnosing FTD in MAPT mutation carriers.
- Gal-3 levels are associated with neuronal injury markers in FTD.
