Galectin-1 as a potential biomarker of rheumatoid arthritis drug effectiveness.

The treatment approach to RA has changed over time, but the main goal of treatment has remained the same, that is, achieving disease remission. Given the lack of RA disease activity tools and biomarkers that can reliably predict RA drug effectiveness not just on joints but also on extra-articular manifestations. The involvement of galectins, especially Galectin-1 (Gal1) in the regulation of immune regulation makes them potential good candidate non-specific biomarkers of autoimmune diseases like RA. Examining the possibility of applying Gal1 as a potential biomarker for evaluating the effectiveness of therapy. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to assess changes in serum Gal1 concentrations in patients with RA, compared with a healthy control group. The study included a total of 88 participants, consisting of 48 patients diagnosed with RA and 40 healthy voluntary blood donors. Patients were enrolled in the study based on a selective recruitment process, provided they met the criteria outlined in the Inclusion Criteria section. The diagnosis of RA was established by physicians in accordance with the ACR/EULAR2010 classification criteria. The collected samples were subjected to concentration determination using a commercial ELISA kit for human Gal1. The serum Gal1 concentration of the examined groups differed significantly (