Serum galectin-3 as a potential predictive biomarker Is associated with post-stroke depression

Objective: As an inflammatory mediator, serum galectin-3 is involved in a variety of biological processes, including fibrosis, angiogenesis, apoptosis and immune activation, as well as in the physiological and pathological processes of multiple nervous system diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum galectin-3 and post-stroke depression in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. Methods: Baseline data of patients with AIS admitted to the Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine from October 2021 to May 2022 were continuously collected. The general data of the patients were collected and serum galectin-3 levels were measured. Hamilton Depression Scale was used to evaluate the occurrence of post-stroke depression. Results: The level of serum galectin-3 was increased in AIS patients with post-stroke depression. The prevalence of post-stroke depression increased with the increase of serum galectin-3 level, suggesting that serum galectin-3 was associated with post-stroke depression. The findings from the ROC curve showed that the area under the curve of serum galectin-3 as a possible biomarker for diagnosing post- stroke depression in AIS patients was 0.719. The sensitivity and specificity were 78.1% and 65.2%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum galectin-3 level remained to be a predictor of post-stroke depression. Conclusions: Elevated serum galectin-3 levels are linked to a higher risk of post-stroke depression. Serum galectin-3 may be a promising biomarker for clinical monitoring of post-stroke depression.