Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 23 5 2024 10 06 476 488 Mehrdad Mahalleh Research Center for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Amir Behnoush Research Center for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Amirmohammad Khalaji Research Center for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mahdi Gouravani Research Center for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ramin Assempoor Research Center for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ahmadreza Jamshidi Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mahdi Mahmoudi Research Center for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Elham Farhadi Research Center for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Rheumatology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2024 07 20 2024 09 14 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by synovial tissue transformation and fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) proliferation. Galectin-3 is gaining attention as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for RA diagnosis. Elevated levels of Galectin-3 cause RA-FLSs to stimulate and generate proinflammatory agents, contributing to cartilage degradation and osteoclast formation. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate published evidence and support future investigation of Galectin-3 as an early biomarker for RA. A systematic search was performed through four databases, including PubMed, the Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase, to find the studies examining Galectin-3 in individuals with RA compared to healthy controls. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Random-effects meta-analysis comparing serum/plasma Galectin-3 levels between individuals with RA and healthy control groups was performed to determine the standardized mean differences (SMD) along with 95% confidence intervals. Following the initial search, studies went through screening. 12 studies, involving 773 patients with RA and 411 healthy controls, were included. Meta-analysis of the included studies revealed that individuals with RA had significantly higher levels of circulatory Galectin-3 compared to healthy control groups (SMD 0.957, 95% CI 0.393 to 1.520). Univariable meta-regression showed no significant association between age, publication year, sample size, or the male percentage with effect size. According to the results, Galectin-3 might be useful as a biomarker for RA. To support these findings, further investigations of Galectin-3 as a possible early biomarker of RA is necessary.  https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/4160 https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/download/4160/2114