{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T12:34:54Z","timestamp":1770813294912,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770768000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004587","name":"Instituto de Salud Carlos III","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004587","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Immunol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Undifferentiated arthritis (UA) represents an early and heterogeneous phase of inflammatory joint disease that may evolve into defined rheumatic conditions. This phase is characterized by immune dysregulation with loss of tolerance and early autoantibody production. Despite extensive research, reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis remain lacking. Galectin-1 (Gal-1), an immunomodulatory lectin with anti-inflammatory properties, has been reported to be elevated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum Gal-1 levels in UA patients over a two-year follow-up.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study analyzed patients from the observational PEARL study, that were classified as UA at baseline visit. After four standardized visits (0, 6, 12 and 24 months), in which biological samples, clinical, laboratory, and treatment data were systematically collected, a definitive diagnosis was established. Serum Gal-1 levels were measured by ELISA at all visits and analyzed in relation to clinical characteristics, final diagnosis, disease activity, and treatment intensity. Multivariate regression models were adjusted for relevant confounders.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 139 patients were included. After two years, 44.6% (n=62\/139) progressed to a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease, mostly RA (67%; n=42\/62), while 40.2% (n=56\/139) remained as persistent UA. Baseline Gal-1 levels were not associated with seropositivity, functional disability or treatment intensity. A non-significant trend toward lower Gal-1 levels was observed in patients evolving to spondyloarthritis (SpA) whereas no major differences were observed among other diagnostic groups. Over the two-year follow-up, Gal-1 levels remained largely stable across all diseases and did not correlate with disease activity despite significant clinical improvement.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Overall, Gal-1 showed stable serum levels irrespective of disease activity or outcome, with limited predictive or monitoring value in UA. Lower concentrations observed in SpA suggest disease-specific modulation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2026.1757168","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T06:54:58Z","timestamp":1770792898000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Galectin-1 levels do not predict outcomes in undifferentiated arthritis: a two-year prospective observational study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Cristina","family":"Valero-Mart\u00ednez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria La Princesa (IIS-IP)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marisa","family":"Pardines-Ortiz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria La Princesa (IIS-IP)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nuria","family":"Montes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria La Princesa (IIS-IP)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ana M.","family":"Ortiz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria La Princesa (IIS-IP)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rosario","family":"Garc\u00eda-Vicu\u00f1a","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria La Princesa (IIS-IP)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]},{"name":"Medicine Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma of Madrid","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Isidoro","family":"Gonz\u00e1lez-Alvaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria La Princesa (IIS-IP)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Triguero-Mart\u00ednez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria La Princesa (IIS-IP)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]},{"name":"Immunometabolism and Inflammation Laboratory, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Mara\u00f1\u00f3n, Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n Sanitaria Gregorio Mara\u00f1\u00f3n","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/art.38013","article-title":"The preclinical phase of rheumatoid arthritis: what is acknowledged and what needs to be assessed","author":"van Steenbergen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Arthritis Rheum"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.semarthrit.2023.152251","article-title":"Disentangling heterogeneity in contemporary undifferentiated arthritis - A large cohort study using latent class analysis","author":"den Hollander","year":"2023","journal-title":"Semin Arthritis Rheumatol"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/rheumatology\/keac127","article-title":"Undifferentiated arthritis, not just another early manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis","author":"Pazmino","year":"2022","journal-title":"Rheumatol (Oxford)"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1177\/00045632241285843","article-title":"Biomarkers in the diagnosis, prognosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis: A comprehensive review","author":"Sahin","year":"2025","journal-title":"Ann Clin Biochem"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.berh.2024.102021","article-title":"Novel biomarkers in RA: Implication for diagnosis, prognosis, and personalised treatment","author":"Neto","year":"2025","journal-title":"Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"120288","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cca.2025.120288","article-title":"Biomarkers for early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis","volume":"574","author":"Yi","year":"2025","journal-title":"Clin Chim Acta"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0021-9258(17)31891-4","article-title":"Galectins. 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