Investigation of Galectin-3 Levels of Endometriosis Patients According to Stages

Abstract

Objective: Endometriosis is a gynecological disease associated with chronic pelvic inflammation, pain, and infertility. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a protein that can bind to β-galactosides, which plays an important role in different biological processes according to the stages of the disease in patients with endometriosis. This study aimed to elucidate the importance of Gal-3 in endometriosis, to reveal its potential power as a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker in disease etiopathogenesis. Materials and Methods: The serum concentration of Gal-3 and cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) from whole blood were measured using enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) and an auto-analyzer, respectively. Gal-3 expression was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) from peripheral blood. Results: We found significant differences for Gal-3 expression levels between the endometriosis and control groups (p <0.05). Gal-3 levels in the serum of women with endometriosis are also remarkably increased compared with the control group. Conclusion: Galectin-3 can play critical functions in the development and progression of endometriosis, so, further studies are needed in this area

Keywords

• Galectin-3
• endometriosis
• biomarkers
• qRT-PCR

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