Plasma galectin-3 predicts clinical outcomes after catheter ablation in persistent atrial fibrillation patients without structural heart disease.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to explore the relationship between plasma galectin-3 (Gal-3) and persistent atrial fibrillation (PsAF), and investigate whether Gal-3 predicts clinical outcomes in patients with PsAF undergoing catheter ablation.


METHODS
Fifty consecutive PsAF patients without coexisting structural heart disease undergoing first-time catheter ablation and 46 healthy controls were included. Blood samples were collected on admission for analysis of plasma Gal-3. Pre-ablation clinical and laboratory data were also recorded. Persistent atrial fibrillations patients were followed after ablation and AF recurrence was defined as episodes of AF or atrial tachycardia lasting >30 s after the blanking period.


RESULTS
Plasma Gal-3 concentrations were higher in PsAF patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.001). In PsAF group, those with AF recurrence had higher plasma Gal-3 than did those without recurrence (P = 0.007). Both Gal-3 (hazard ratio 1.28, P = 0.006) and left atrial diameter (LAD) (hazard ratio 1.1, P = 0.025) were independent predictors of AF recurrence after ablation. Moreover, adding Gal-3 to LAD had an incremental predictive value for ablation outcomes (global χ(2) of LAD alone: 8.2; LAD and Gal-3 concentrations: 15.7; P = 0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma Gal-3 concentrations are elevated in PsAF patients without structural heart disease and independently predict AF recurrence after ablation. Plasma Gal-3 concentration may be helpful in identifying appropriate candidates for AF ablation.
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China.
Xiao-Yan
XY
Wu
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China.
Song-Nan
SN
Li
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China.
Song-Nan
SN
Wen
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China.
Jun-Gang
JG
Nie
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China.
Wen-Ning
WN
Deng
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China.
Rong
R
Bai
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China.
Nian
N
Liu
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China.
Ri-Bo
RB
Tang
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China.
Ting
T
Zhang
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China.
Xin
X
Du
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China.
Jian-Zeng
JZ
Dong
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, No. 2, Anzhen Road, Beijing 100029, China chshma@vip.sina.com.
Chang-Sheng
CS
Ma
D000328:Adult; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000601:surgery*; D001798:Blood Proteins; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000097:blood*; D037161:Galectins; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001798:Blood Proteins; D037502:Galectin 3; D037161:Galectins; C428445:LGALS3 protein, human
Atrial fibrillation; Atrial fibrosis; Biomarker; Catheter ablation; Galectin-3