Higher Levels of Galectin-1 and Galectin-3 in Young Subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorder Compared to Unaffected Siblings and Healthy Controls

OBJECTIVE: Despite being highly genetic, the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has not yet been clarified. Recent research has focused on the role of neuroinflammation and immune system dysfunction in the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders including ASD. Galectin-1 and galactin-3 are considered among the biomarkers of neuroinflammation and there has been recent reports on the potential role of galectins in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. However, there has been no study examining the relationship between ASD and galectin levels. METHODS: Current study aimed to investigate galectin-1 and galectin-3 serum levels in young subjects with ASD comparing with their unaffected siblings and healthy controls. RESULTS: We found significantly higher levels of galectin-1 in case group compared to both unaffected siblings and healthy controls, and higher levels of galectin-3 in case group compared to healthy controls. However, there was no significant association between galectin-1 and galectin-3 levels with the severity of ASD. CONCLUSION: Findings of our study may support neuroinflammation hypothesis in the etiology of ASD and the potential role of galectin-1 and galectin-3 as biomarkers.