Elevated Galectin-3 Plasma Concentrations in Recipients of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Galectin-3 is a beta-galactoside-binding lectin with an established association to inflammatory and fibrotic conditions. We investigated galectin-3 levels in 68 recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) to look for associations with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Plasma galectin-3 concentrations were measured at 1 year post-HCT and correlated with clinical data collected from individual medical records. The median serum galectin-3 level at that time point was 14.9 ng/mL (range, 5.5-61.6), which was significantly higher than that among healthy controls (14.9 versus 6.2, p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with active cGVHD at the time of sample collection had higher median levels as compared to those without cGVHD (16.9 versus 13, p = 0.03). In a multivariable logistic model, there was no significant association between the presence of cGVHD at the date of sample collection and elevated galectin-3 levels (>14.9 ng/mL) (odds ratio [OR]: 2.03 (0.60, 6.88), p = 0.26). However, among patients with cGVHD at the date of sample collection, active systemic corticosteroid therapy was associated with elevated galectin-3 levels (OR: 20.32 (1.66, 249.39), p = 0.02). Furthermore, in a competing risk regression model, elevated galectin-3 levels at 1 year post-HCT were not associated with future development of moderate or severe cGVHD (OR: 1.24 (0.21, 7.45), p = 0.81). In conclusion, plasma galectin-3 concentrations are elevated in recipients of allo-HCT, especially among patients with cGVHD. Further investigation will be required to determine whether galectin-3 has a pathophysiologic role in cGVHD or serves as a marker of ongoing inflammation following allogeneic HCT.