
Galectin-3: role in ocular allergy and potential as a predictive biomarker
2018; BMJ; Volume: 102; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1136/bjophthalmol-2017-311473
ISSN1468-2079
AutoresFrans Eberth Costa Andrade, Mab P. Corrêa, Alexandre Dantas Gimenes, Myrna Serapião dos Santos, Mauro Campos, Roger Chammas, José Álvaro Pereira Gomes, Cristiane Damas Gil,
Tópico(s)Galectins and Cancer Biology
ResumoAims To evaluate galectin-3 (Gal-3), a β-galactoside binding protein, as a possible biomarker in ocular allergy and further investigated the role of endogenous Gal-3 in a murine model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic conjunctivitis (AC). Methods Conjunctival impression cytology specimens from control and patients with severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis, treated or untreated, were used to evaluate Gal-3 expression by immunocytochemistry. To investigate the mechanism of action of Gal-3, OVA-immunised BALB/c male wild-type (WT) and Gal-3 null (Gal-3 -/- ) mice were challenged with eye drops containing OVA on days 14–16 with a subset of animals pretreated with 0.03% tacrolimus (TC) or dexamethasone (Dex). Results Patients with AC and OVA-sensitised WT mice exhibited increased levels of Gal-3 in the conjunctiva compared with control, an effect reverted by the action of Dex and TC therapy. Twenty-four hours after the final OVA challenge, total and anti-OVA IgE levels increased significantly in the blood of OVA-sensitised WT and Gal-3 -/- mice compared with controls, supporting the efficacy of the AC model. The lack of endogenous Gal-3 exacerbated the local inflammatory response, increasing the influx of eosinophils and mast cell activation. Additionally, OVA-sensitised Gal-3 -/- animals exhibited increased CD4 + expression in the eyes as well as eotaxin, IL-4, IL-13 and interferon-γ levels in the tear fluid compared with WT animals. Conclusion Gal-3 contributes to the pathogenesis of ocular allergy and represents a relevant therapeutic target.
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