Study of β-1, 4 Galactosyltransferase in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases

Background: Autoimmune diseases (ADs) are often associated with dyslipidemia and inflammation, which may contribute to disease pathogenesis and complications, with β-1, 4 GalT implicated in inflammation and atherosclerosis. Objectives: This study aimed to study β-1,4 GalT in autoimmune diseases and analyzing its associations with lipid profiles, renal and liver functions, and comorbidities. Methods: This case-control study included 90 participants: 20 patients with SLE, RA, and Systemic Sclerosis (SS), 10 with psoriasis, and 20 healthy controls. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected, including β-1,4 GalT levels assessed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent- assay. Results: SLE patients had significantly higher levels of β-1,4 GalT mean was 76.80 ± 10.71 compared to the other groups (p < 0.001). No significant correlations were detected between β-1,4 GalT and lipid parameters. Lipid profiling showed significantly increased cholesterol and LDL-c in psoriasis (p < 0.001), higher triglyceride levels in RA patients (p < 0.001), and reduced HDL-c levels in SS patients (p < 0.001). In RA, β-1,4 GalT exhibited significant negative correlations with urea (r = -0.620, p = 0.004), creatinine (r = -0.637, p = 0.003), AST (r = -0.445, p = 0.049), and ALT (r = -0.525, p = 0.017). Conclusion: The study highlighted β-1,4 GalT's complex role in ADs, suggesting its heightened involvement in SLE pathogenesis compared to other ADs. Despite dyslipidemia, no direct correlations were found between β-1,4 GalT and lipid profiles within groups, indicating separate mechanisms. In RA, higher β-1,4 GalT levels correlated with improved organ function, contradicting existing literature. Further investigation is warranted for therapeutic implications.