Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
Circulating Galectin-3 is Associated With Left Atrial Appendage Remodelling and Thrombus Formation in Patients With
Zhengde Tang1, Lefeng Zeng1, Yanjun Lin1
1Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Background:
Left atrial appendage (LAA) is gaining increasing attention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in the context of cardioembolic stroke. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a mediator of profibrotic pathways and is associated with an increased incidence of heart failure. However, the role of Gal-3 in LAA remodelling and thrombus formation in AF has not been evaluated.
Methods:
This prospective study included 153 consecutive patients with paroxysmal (n=58), persistent (n=55) or permanent (n=40) nonvalvular AF. The serum level of Gal-3 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The morphology and function of LAA were determined by transoesophageal echocardiography.
Results:
Left atrial appendage thrombus was observed in 22 patients (2 in paroxysmal AF, 11 in persistent AF and 9 in permanent AF). Significant differences among patients with different types of AF were found in terms of LAA morphology (orifice diameter and depth) and function (flow velocity and tissue Doppler contracting velocity) as well as serum levels of Gal-3. Furthermore, patients with persistent or permanent AF had higher levels of Gal-3. High Gal-3 level was closely related to LAA flow velocity and occurrence of LAA thrombus. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that Gal-3 was an independent determinant of LAA thrombus in patients with AF. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves related to LAA thrombus formation established a cut-off point for Gal-3 >18.95ng/ml.
Conclusions:
Cardiac rhythm disturbances caused by AF may lead to morphologic and functional remodelling of LAA. The serum level of Gal-3 was significantly correlated with LAA remodelling in patients with AF. High levels of Gal-3 were also a predicator for LAA thrombus formation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
Amyloid Fibrils
ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias II: Atrial, Junctional and Ventricular Arrhythmias
Nucleosome Remodeling
Nucleosome remodeling complex
Eukaryotic cells have specialized enzymes called ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling enzymes. These enzymes...
Surface Appendages of Archaea
Fibril-associated Collagen
For example, the type II collagen fibrils in cartilage have covalently bound type IX fibril-associated collagens at regular intervals. Other types of fibril-associated collagens are...

