Association between galectin-3 and echocardiographic changes in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019:...

ObjectiveTo assess the association between serum galectin-3 levels and echocardiographic changes in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 across different disease severities and stages, including the post- coronavirus disease 2019 period.MethodsThis retrospective observational study included 86 adults with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 who were treated at the First University Clinic of Tbilisi State Medical University. Patients were divided into four groups: moderate disease within the first week of symptom onset (n = 21), severe disease during weeks 2-3 (n = 20), critical illness not requiring mechanical ventilation (n = 20), and post- coronavirus disease 2019 status 2 months after infection (n = 25). Serum galectin-3 was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and transthoracic echocardiography was performed in all patients. Clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic variables were compared across groups, and associations with galectin-3 were assessed using Spearman rank correlations. Group comparisons were performed using independent-samples t tests and one-way analysis of variance. Because normality and homogeneity of variance were not formally assessed and no adjustment for multiple testing was applied, the findings were interpreted as exploratory.ResultsGalectin-3 levels increased across the acute disease groups and were highest in critically ill nonventilated patients, whereas lower levels were observed in the post- coronavirus disease 2019 group. Nominally significant between-group differences were observed in ascending aortic diameter, left ventricular volumes and mass, left atrial diameter, pulmonary artery diameter, and selected right heart functional parameters. Galectin-3 showed nominally significant correlations with atrial dimensions, right ventricular fractional area change, and selected left ventricular structural parameters, although the pattern varied across groups.ConclusionsSerum galectin-3 was associated with selected echocardiographic abnormalities, with patterns varying according to coronavirus disease 2019 severity and disease stage. Combined assessment of galectin-3 and echocardiographic findings may help characterize cardiovascular involvement. However, because of the small subgroup sizes, unadjusted multiple comparisons, unassessed assumptions of parametric tests, and exclusion of mechanically ventilated patients, these findings are hypothesis-generating and should be interpreted with caution.