Galectin-3 as an important prognostic marker for COVID-19 severity

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a protein involved in inflammation, infection, and fibrosis.
• Understanding factors influencing COVID-19 severity is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between Galectin-3 (Gal-3) levels, immune responses, and clinical, biochemical, and radiographic findings in COVID-19 patients.
• To determine if Gal-3 can serve as a marker for COVID-19 severity.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of serum Gal-3, cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-12, IL-10), clinical data, biochemical markers (urea, D dimer), radiographic findings (CXR), and peripheral blood immune cell populations in 280 COVID-19 patients.
• Classification of patients into mild, moderate, severe, and critical groups based on disease severity.

Main Results:

• Critical COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly higher serum Gal-3, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-12, and IL-10 levels compared to those with milder disease.
• Gal-3 showed strong positive correlations with IL-1β and moderate correlations with TNF-α, IL-12, urea, D dimer, and CXR findings.
• Negative correlations were observed between Gal-3 and oxygen saturation (p02, Sa02), lymphocytes, and monocytes. Increased percentages of CD56- CD3+ TNF-α+ T cells, CD56- CD3+ Gal-3+ T cells, and CCR5 expression were noted in severe cases.

Conclusions:

• Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a significant predictor of critical COVID-19 severity.
• Elevated Gal-3, TNF-α, and CCR5 expression on T cells suggest a role in promoting inflammation and disease progression in severe COVID-19.