Galectin-1 in Stable Liver Transplant Recipients

Introduction. The achievement of a state of tolerance and minimization of the immunosuppressive load form part of the Holy Grail in solid organ transplantation. Galectin-1 recently has been described to be involved in the maintenance of a tolerant environment, but there is no evidence of its role in human liver transplantation. The aim of our study was to measure the serum levels of galectin-1 in stable liver transplant recipients. Methods. Serum levels of galectin-1 were determined in 30 stable liver transplant recipients who had been free of rejection episodes for at least 8 years. Fifteen patients with an acute rejection episode and 34 healthy subjects were used as the control group. Results. The concentrations of galectin-1 were significantly higher in stable liver transplant recipients compared with healthy subjects and with the acute rejection group. Conclusions. These preliminary results indicate that galectin4 is upregulated in stable liver transplant recipients. Thus, our results extend the recent findings that galectin-1 may play an immune-suppressive role in liver transplantation. It remains to be established whether it might help to induce tolerance in liver transplantation.