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Positive correlation between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid galectin-3 in suicide attempters

Bontidean, Annamaria LU ; Lindqvist, Daniel LU ; Grudet, Cécile LU orcid ; Brundin, Lena LU ; Deierborg, Tomas LU orcid and Ventorp, Filip LU (2025) In World Journal of Biological Psychiatry 27(2). p.157-161
Abstract

Objectives: Both depression and suicidal behaviour have been associated with neuroinflammation. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a protein involved in microglial activation, has been linked to pro-inflammatory cytokines and the severity of depressive symptoms. The extent to which peripheral levels of Gal-3 reflect neuroinflammation is unknown, as is the relationship between Gal-3 and suicidality. Methods: Blood and CSF samples were collected from recent suicide attempters and healthy controls. CSF levels of cytokines interleukin (IL)-8, IL-1β, IL-6, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were available from a subset of the suicide attempters. The Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was used for the assessment of depression symptom... (More)

Objectives: Both depression and suicidal behaviour have been associated with neuroinflammation. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a protein involved in microglial activation, has been linked to pro-inflammatory cytokines and the severity of depressive symptoms. The extent to which peripheral levels of Gal-3 reflect neuroinflammation is unknown, as is the relationship between Gal-3 and suicidality. Methods: Blood and CSF samples were collected from recent suicide attempters and healthy controls. CSF levels of cytokines interleukin (IL)-8, IL-1β, IL-6, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were available from a subset of the suicide attempters. The Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was used for the assessment of depression symptom severity. Results: We found a strong positive correlation between Gal-3 levels in plasma and CSF (r = 0.77, p< 0.001, n = 22). There were no significant differences in Gal-3 between suicide attempters and controls in plasma (n = 16 and 23, respectively) or CSF (n = 13 and 18, respectively). Among suicide attempters, we found a negative correlation between Gal-3 and IL-8 in CSF (r = −0.40, p = 0.01, n = 39). Gal-3 did not correlate significantly with any of the other cytokines. Conclusions: Peripheral Gal-3 levels seem to reflect Gal-3 in the central nervous system. Results from this small-scale study do not support the role of Gal-3 in the pathophysiology of suicidal behaviour.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
biomarker, galectin-3, inflammation, Suicidal behaviour
in
World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
volume
27
issue
2
pages
5 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:105024819996
  • pmid:41388730
ISSN
1562-2975
DOI
10.1080/15622975.2025.2597331
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
id
70df46cd-2182-4b2b-adee-ab59dcf8d777
date added to LUP
2026-03-03 16:18:54
date last changed
2026-03-04 02:56:01
@article{70df46cd-2182-4b2b-adee-ab59dcf8d777,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives: Both depression and suicidal behaviour have been associated with neuroinflammation. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a protein involved in microglial activation, has been linked to pro-inflammatory cytokines and the severity of depressive symptoms. The extent to which peripheral levels of Gal-3 reflect neuroinflammation is unknown, as is the relationship between Gal-3 and suicidality. Methods: Blood and CSF samples were collected from recent suicide attempters and healthy controls. CSF levels of cytokines interleukin (IL)-8, IL-1β, IL-6, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were available from a subset of the suicide attempters. The Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was used for the assessment of depression symptom severity. Results: We found a strong positive correlation between Gal-3 levels in plasma and CSF (r = 0.77, p&lt; 0.001, n = 22). There were no significant differences in Gal-3 between suicide attempters and controls in plasma (n = 16 and 23, respectively) or CSF (n = 13 and 18, respectively). Among suicide attempters, we found a negative correlation between Gal-3 and IL-8 in CSF (r = −0.40, p = 0.01, n = 39). Gal-3 did not correlate significantly with any of the other cytokines. Conclusions: Peripheral Gal-3 levels seem to reflect Gal-3 in the central nervous system. Results from this small-scale study do not support the role of Gal-3 in the pathophysiology of suicidal behaviour.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bontidean, Annamaria and Lindqvist, Daniel and Grudet, Cécile and Brundin, Lena and Deierborg, Tomas and Ventorp, Filip}},
  issn         = {{1562-2975}},
  keywords     = {{biomarker; galectin-3; inflammation; Suicidal behaviour}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{157--161}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{World Journal of Biological Psychiatry}},
  title        = {{Positive correlation between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid galectin-3 in suicide attempters}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2025.2597331}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/15622975.2025.2597331}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}