title: Galectin-3: A Link between Myocardial and Arterial Stiffening in Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart failure is accompanied by abnormalities in ventricular-vascular interaction due to increased myocardial and arterial stiffness. Galectin-3 is a recently discovered biomarker that plays an important role in myocardial and vascular fibrosis and heart failure progression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine whether galectin-3 is correlated with arterial stiffening markers and impaired ventricular-arterial coupling in decompensated heart failure patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 79 inpatients with acute decompensated heart failure were evaluated. Serum galectin-3 was determined at baseline, and during admission, transthoracic echocardiography and measurements of vascular indices by Doppler ultrasonography were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elevated pulse wave velocity and low arterial carotid distensibility are associated with heart failure in patients with preserved ejection fraction (p = 0.04, p = 0.009). Pulse wave velocity, carotid distensibility and Young's modulus did not correlate with serum galectin-3 levels. Conversely, raised galectin-3 levels correlated with an increased ventricular-arterial coupling ratio (Ea/Elv) p = 0.047, OR = 1.9, 95% CI (1.0‑3.6). Increased galectin-3 levels were associated with lower rates of left ventricular pressure rise in early systole (dp/dt) (p=0.018) and raised pulmonary artery pressure (p = 0.046). High galectin-3 levels (p = 0.038, HR = 3.07) and arterial pulmonary pressure (p = 0.007, HR = 1.06) were found to be independent risk factors for all-cause mortality and readmissions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed no significant correlation between serum galectin-3 levels and arterial stiffening markers. Instead, high galectin-3 levels predicted impaired ventricular-arterial coupling. Galectin-3 may be predictive of raised pulmonary artery pressures. Elevated galectin-3 levels correlate with severe systolic dysfunction and together with pulmonary hypertension are independent markers of outcome.
authors.affiliation: Vasile Goldis West University Arad, Romania.
authors.forename: Radu Ioan
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Lala
authors.affiliation: Vasile Goldis West University Arad, Romania.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Darabantiu
authors.affiliation: Vasile Goldis West University Arad, Romania.
authors.forename: Luminita
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pilat
authors.affiliation: Vasile Goldis West University Arad, Romania.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puschita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000097:blood*; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D066253:Vascular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D037502:Galectin 3