Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 6, 2025
An Experimental Model of Myocardial Infarction for Studying Cardiac Repair and Remodeling in Knockout Mice
Published on: July 14, 2023
Galectin-3 as an independent prognostic factor after heart transplantation
Janka Franeková1,2, Lenka Hošková3, Antonín Jabor1,2
1Department of Laboratory Methods, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.
Insights
Elevated Galectin-3 (GAL3) levels before and after heart transplantation (HTx) predict mortality. This biomarker may improve prognosis assessment in HTx patients, aiding in better patient management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Transplantation Immunology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Galectin-3 (GAL3) is implicated in heart failure prognosis and outcomes post-heart transplantation (HTx).
- Assessing GAL3's prognostic value in long-term HTx follow-up is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prognostic significance of Galectin-3 (GAL3) in patients undergoing heart transplantation (HTx).
- To determine if GAL3 levels predict long-term survival after HTx.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, observational study of 121 HTx patients with a median follow-up of 96 months.
- Galectin-3 (GAL3) levels measured pre-HTx, 10 days post-HTx, and during the first post-transplant year.
- Survival analysis for all-cause mortality, adjusted for clinical and laboratory variables.
Main Results:
- Higher pre-transplant GAL3 levels correlated with older age, poorer kidney function, LVAD use, higher IMPACT scores, and mortality.
- Increased pre-transplant GAL3 and GAL3 levels on post-transplant day 10 were associated with shorter survival.
- GAL3 independently predicted death after adjusting for multiple clinical factors.
Conclusions:
- Galectin-3 (GAL3) is significantly associated with all-cause mortality in HTx patients.
- GAL3 may serve as an additional prognostic biomarker for predicting outcomes after heart transplantation.
Background:
Galectin-3 (GAL3) is linked to the prognosis of patients with heart failure and after heart transplantation (HTx). We assessed the prognostic role of GAL3 in a long-term follow-up after HTx.
Methods:
HTx patients (N = 121) were evaluated in a single-center, noninterventional, prospective, observational study. The median follow-up was 96 months (2942 days, interquartile range (IQR) 2408-3264 days), and 40 patients died. GAL3 was measured before HTx, +10 days after HTx, and during the first posttransplant year. Survival analysis (all-cause mortality) was performed with adjustments for clinical and laboratory variables.
Results:
The median pretransplant GAL3 level was 18.0 μg/L (IQR 14.0-25.9), and higher values were associated with older age, worse kidney function, left ventricular assist device use before HTx, a higher IMPACT score, and mortality. Increased pretransplant GAL3 predicted shorter survival time (HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.09-3.85, p < .05). Similar prognostic power had GAL3 on the 10th posttransplant day (HR 2.03, 95% CI 1.08-3.82, p < .05). GAL3 was an independent predictor of death after adjustment for clinical variables (age, infection, diabetes, smoking, IMPACT score, and troponin).
Conclusions:
GAL3 was significantly associated with all-cause mortality after adjusting for clinical and laboratory variables and may serve as an additional prognostic biomarker.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies
01:26Heart Failure III: Clinical Manifestations
01:29Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
01:24Tissue Transplantation
The Biology of Tissue Transplantation
The biology of tissue transplantation hinges on the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules. These molecules...