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Published on: October 21, 2018
Galectin-3 is associated with glomerular filtration rate and outcome in patients with stable decompensated cirrhosis
Theodora Oikonomou1, Ioannis Goulis1, Fani Ntogramatzi2
1Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, Medical School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece.
Insights
Galectin-3 (gal-3) is a reliable biomarker for chronic kidney disease in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Higher gal-3 levels correlate with impaired renal function and predict patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Hepatology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Galectin-3 (gal-3) is increasingly recognized for its association with impaired renal function.
- Gal-3 shows potential as a prognostic biomarker in hepatic diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between galectin-3 (gal-3) levels and renal function.
- To evaluate gal-3 as a prognostic biomarker in patients with stable decompensated cirrhosis.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 100 stable decompensated cirrhosis patients.
- Measurement of serum galectin-3 (gal-3) levels.
- Assessment of renal function using 51Chromium-EDTA (true GFR) and creatinine.
Main Results:
- Patients with elevated gal-3 (≥11.7 ng/mL) exhibited significantly lower true GFR and higher creatinine levels.
- Higher gal-3 levels (≥17.5 ng/mL) were associated with increased MELD scores and worse true GFR.
- Gal-3 demonstrated good performance in predicting true GFR < 60 mL/min (AUC: 0.71).
- Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that gal-3 levels significantly impacted patient survival (log-rank p=0.04).
Conclusions:
- Galectin-3 (gal-3) is a trustworthy marker for established chronic kidney disease in stable decompensated cirrhosis.
- Gal-3 has predictive ability for renal function and serves as a significant prognostic factor for patient outcomes.
Background:
Newly introduced galectin-3 (gal-3) has been associated to impaired renal function. Gal-3 may become prognostic biomarker in hepatic diseases.
Aim:
To investigate the association of gal-3 with prognosis and renal function in patients with stable decompensated cirrhosis.
Method:
We studied prospectively 100 stable decompensated patients in our Department between 2010 and 2017. We measured gal-3 in serum samples. Patients' renal function was assessed using 51Chromium-EDTA ("true GFR").
Results:
Seventy patients (70%) survived and 30 died (n = 16) or underwent LT (n = 14). Twenty nine patients (29%) had normal gal-3, 71 (71%) had ≥11.7 ng/mL; they differed significantly regarding mean "true"-GFR: 90 ± 20 mL/min vs. 76 ± 26 mL/min, p = 0.03 and mean creatinine: 0.83 ± 0.14 mg/dL vs. 0.97 ± 0.4 mg/dL, p = 0.05. Median gal-3 levels were 17.5 ng/mL (range 4.9-76.5 ng/mL); 49 patients with gal-3 ≥17.5 ng/mL had significantly higher MELD score, (15 ± 5 vs. 13 ± 4, p = 0.02) and worse "true" GFR (74 vs. 85 mL/min, p = 0.04). Gal-3 had good performance in predicting "true"-GFR < 60 mL/min; AUC: 0.71, 95%CI [0.58-0.85], best cut off value 17.5 ng/mL. Kaplan-Meier analysis, using median gal-3 (17.5 ng/mL) revealed different survival time for our patients (log-rank p = 0.04).
Conclusion:
Gal-3 proved trustworthy marker of established chronic kidney disease, with predictive ability in stable decompensated cirrhosis. Gal-3 came also a significant factor for our patients' outcome.
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