title: Can be galectin-3 a novel marker in determining mortality in hemodialysis patients?
abstract: Cardiovascular (CV) mortality is common in hemodialysis (HD) patients. There are some difficulties involved in determining CV risk. Galectin-3 is a molecule with a demonstrated correlation with CV mortality and which is approved in the stratification of heart failure (HF) risk. The purpose of this study was to assess the previously uninvestigated relationship between galectin-3 and cardiac mortality in HD patients.
  
  
  
  Two hundred ninety clinically stable HD patients aged over 18 and on a thrice-weekly intermittent HD program lasting >3 months and 30 healthy individuals were enrolled in this multi-center, prospective, observational study and monitored over 24 months. Blood specimens were collected at the start of the study for the measurement of galectin-3 and other biochemical parameters. At the end of the study, the relations between galectin-3 and other biochemical and demographic parameters and mortality were analyzed.
  
  
  
  Galectin-3 levels were significantly higher in the HD group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). All-cause mortality was observed in 63 (21%) patients. At multivariate Cox regression analysis, age, low albumin, low DBP, high galectin-3 and high HsCRP were identified as prognostic determinants of all-cause mortality, while age, low albumin, high galectin-3 and high SBP were identified as prognostic determinants of cardiac mortality.
  
  
  
  This study shows, for the first time in the literature, that galectin-3 may be a novel biomarker of cardiac mortality in HD patients. We think that, when supported by further studies, galectin-3 can be a promising biomarker in predicting cardiac mortality in HD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Hatay Antakya State Hospital, Hatay, Turkey. Electronic address: gulsumozkan78@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Gulsum
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sukru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ulusoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Menteşe
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Beyhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guvercin
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: S Caner
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Karahan
authors.affiliation: Trabzon RTS Hemodialysis Center, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Diler Us
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Altay
authors.affiliation: Antakya Şifa Hemodialysis Center, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ocal
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000401:mortality*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D037502:Galectin 3
keywords: Cardiac mortality; Galectin 3; Hemodialysis; Mortality