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Galectin-3 in Patients with Acute Heart Failure: Preliminary Report on First Polish Experience

Grażyna Sygitowicz1, Mariusz Tomaniak2, Krzysztof J Filipiak2

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.

Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine : Official Organ Wroclaw Medical University
|September 16, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Higher levels of Galectin-3 (Gal-3) in acute heart failure (AHF) patients indicate fibrosis and predict mortality. This novel serum marker shows promise for diagnosing AHF and assessing patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Biomarker Discovery
  • Heart Failure Research

Background:

  • Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is implicated in heart failure (HF) progression, serving as a biomarker for fibrosis and inflammation.
  • Elevated Gal-3 levels may predict increased morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the diagnostic utility of a novel serum marker, Galectin-3, for acute heart failure (AHF).
  • To assess the correlation between Gal-3 levels and other established biomarkers and clinical parameters in AHF patients.

Main Methods:

  • Serum concentrations of Galectin-3 (Gal-3), NT-proBNP, and hsCRP were measured in 14 AHF patients and 19 healthy controls.
  • Clinical parameters including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and prevalence of dyspnea were assessed.
  • Survival rates were evaluated after a 12-month follow-up period.

Main Results:

  • AHF patients exhibited significantly higher median Gal-3 concentrations (17.8 ng/mL) compared to controls (8.4 ng/mL) (p = 0.0007).
  • A significant positive correlation was found between Gal-3 and NT-proBNP levels (Rs = 0.565; p = 0.035).
  • Elevated Gal-3 levels were observed in AHF patients who died within 12 months (55.6 ng/mL) versus those who survived (15.0 ng/mL) (p = 0.005).

Conclusions:

  • Increased Galectin-3 expression is indicative of myocardial fibrosis and remodeling in decompensated heart failure.
  • Galectin-3 represents a valuable and promising serum biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of acute heart failure.
Abstract

Keywords:
NT-proBNPacute heart failurebiomarkersgalectin-3left ventricle ejection fraction

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