title: Galectin-3 and cardiac function in survivors of acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Galectin-3 is a biomarker associated with inflammation and fibrosis that predicts adverse outcome and relates to biomarkers of extracellular matrix turnover in patients with heart failure, particularly when left ventricular (LV) systolic function is preserved. Whether galectin-3 is related to LV remodeling after acute myocardial infarction is unknown.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Circulating galectin-3 and various extracellular matrix biomarkers were measured in 100 patients (age, 58.9±12.0 years; 77% men) admitted with acute myocardial infarction and LV dysfunction, at baseline (mean 46 hours) and at 24 weeks, with cardiac MRI at each time-point. LV remodeling was defined as change in LV end-systolic volume index. Relationships among galectin-3, biomarkers, and LV remodeling were analyzed across the entire cohort, then according to median baseline LV ejection fraction. Galectin-3 levels were elevated in 22 patients (22%) at baseline and increased significantly over time from 14.7±5.5 to 16.3±6.6 ng/mL (P=0.007). Baseline galectin-3 did not correlate with any LV parameters at baseline or change in any parameter over time. Galectin-3 was positively associated with remodeling in patients with supramedian baseline LV ejection fraction (ie, >49.2%; r=0.40; P=0.01) but not when LV ejection fraction was ≤49.2%. Galectin-3 correlated significantly with matrix metalloproteinase-3 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 at baseline, biomarkers that have been shown to relate to LV remodeling in this cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Galectin-3 correlated significantly with certain biomarkers involved in extracellular matrix turnover, although no definite relationship was identified with LV remodeling. Whether galectin-3 plays a pathological role in remodeling remains unclear but merits further study.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00132093.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Hairmyres Hospital, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom. robinweir75@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Robin A P
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Weir
authors.forename: Colin J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Petrie
authors.forename: C Aengus
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Steedman
authors.forename: Ashley M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Iain B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: McInnes
authors.forename: Iain B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Squire
authors.forename: Leong L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Henry J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Dargie
authors.forename: John J V
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: McMurray
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000077545:Eplerenone; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality*; D013148:Spironolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013318:Stroke Volume; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D037502:Galectin 3; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; D013148:Spironolactone; D000077545:Eplerenone
keywords: acute myocardial infarction; cardiac magnetic resonance; galectin-3; remodeling