Background: Intractable epilepsy is defined as the occurrence of seizures that cannot be controlled with medical treatment. The discovery of epilepsy biomarkers is increasingly attracting more attention from both clinical physicians as well as neuroscientists. Increased levels of soluble and/or cellular galectin-3 (Gal-3) have been associated with various diseases. However, the effects of Gal-3 in epilepsy are still unknown. In this study, we evaluated the association of higher interictal serum Gal-3 protein levels in patients diagnosed with intractable epilepsy.
Patients and methods: A group of 38 patients with intractable epilepsy and 26 healthy age-matched control subjects were included in this study. A commercially available electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) kit was used to determine serum Gal-3 protein levels.
Results: Our results indicated that serum Gal-3 protein level in the patient group was 6.67 ± 0.34 ng/ml, and in the age-matched control group was 5.40 ± 0.34 ng/ml. The difference between the two groups was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.003).
Conclusion: This study found a detectable elevation in serum Gal-3 concentration in patients with focal epilepsy. Given its secretory nature and detectable levels in the serum, Gal-3 could be a potential biomarker for intractable epilepsy.