Measurement of Plasma Galectin-3 Concentrations in Patients with Catheter Infections: A Post Hoc Retrospective Cohort Study
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Simona Iftimie1, Anna Hernández-Aguilera2, Ana F López-Azcona1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43204 Reus, Spain.
Insights
Catheter-related infections (CRIs) are difficult to diagnose. Galectin-3 levels are higher in patients with catheters and may aid in diagnosing urinary catheter infections.
Area of Science:
- Biomarkers
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Catheter-related infections (CRIs), including catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), present diagnostic challenges due to non-specific symptoms.
- CRIs are associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and increased healthcare costs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate factors influencing plasma galectin-3 concentrations in patients with catheters.
- To explore the potential of galectin-3 as a diagnostic marker for CRIs.
Main Methods:
- Measured galectin-3, chemokine (C-C) motif ligand 2, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein in 110 central catheter patients, 165 urinary catheter patients, and 72 controls.
- Analyzed determinants of galectin-3 levels and diagnostic accuracy for CRIs.
Main Results:
- Catheter-bearing patients exhibited significantly higher galectin-3 concentrations compared to controls (p < 0.001).
- Chronic kidney disease was a determinant for galectin-3 in central catheter patients.
- Serum creatinine, cardiovascular disease, and catheter indwelling duration influenced galectin-3 in urinary catheter patients.
- Galectin-3 measurement showed higher diagnostic accuracy for CRIs in urinary catheter patients than other tested parameters.
Conclusions:
- Plasma galectin-3 measurement may help assess inflammatory status in catheter-bearing patients.
- Galectin-3 shows promise as a diagnostic aid for CRIs, particularly in patients with urinary catheters.
Abstract:
Catheter-related infections (CRIs) include catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), and they are associated with high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. The diagnosis of a CRI is made difficult by its non-specific symptoms. We aimed to investigate the factors influencing the plasma concentration of galectin-3 in catheter-bearing patients and to explore its potential usefulness as an index for CRIs. Circulating the concentrations of galectin-3, we measured the chemokine (C-C) motif ligand 2, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein in 110 patients with a central catheter, in 165 patients with a urinary catheter, and in 72 control subjects. Catheter-bearing patients had higher concentrations (p < 0.001) of galectin-3 than the control group [central catheter: 19.1 (14.0−23.4) µg/L; urinary catheter: 17.1 (12.7−25.4) µg/L; control group: 6.1 (5.0−8.7) µg/L]. We identified chronic kidney disease as an independent determinant of galectin-3 concentrations in patients with a central catheter, and serum creatinine, cardiovascular disease, and number of days that the catheter was indwelling were identified as determinants in urinary catheter patients. We found that measuring galectin-3 concentrations in urinary catheter patients with a CRI was more accurate for diagnosis than the other parameters. We conclude that the measurement of galectin-3 concentration may be useful for assessing the inflammatory status of catheter-bearing patients and may contribute to the diagnosis of CRIs in those with a urinary catheter.
