Cross-Sectional Study of Serum Galectin-3 Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Colorectal Polyps

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) secreted by activated macrophages is involved in inflammation, fibrosis, and tumorigenesis. It is considered a potential biomarker and therapeutic target. This study assessed the association between serum Gal-3, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and colorectal polyps (CRPs). In this cross-sectional study, 80 non-cancer patients undergoing colonoscopy were divided into four subgroups based on T2D and CRP status. Serum Gal-3 and metabolic parameters were measured. All patients' mean serum Gal-3 level was 13.63 ng/mL. Gal-3 levels were significantly higher in T2D+ than in the T2D- group (14.93 ng/mL, p = 0.02). Gal-3 concentration correlated significantly with age (rho = 0.281; p = 0.012), gender (rho = 0.220; p = 0.049), serum peptide C levels (rho = 0.957; p = 0.006), and serum IGF-1 levels (rho = -0.417; p < 0.001) in all patients, and for patients T2D-, it also correlated significantly with fasting plasma glucose levels (rho = -0.406; p = 0.009). A logistic regression analysis of the risk of polyps was conducted (CRP+ vs. CRP-) considering factors such as gender, age, body weight, waist circumference, T2D, HOMA-IR, insulin, API, IGF-1, total cholesterol, and Gal-3. Gal-3 serum was shown to be a strong independent predictor of CRPs regardless of the presence of T2D+ (p = 0.031). Gal-3 may correlate with the development of CRPs and might be a candidate biomarker of CRPs/cancer development.