Circulating Galectin-3 Levels Are Increased in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease, but Are Not Influenced by Acute Myocardial Infarction.
Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is involved in cardiac inflammation and fibrosis, and is in use as a biomarker that indicates increased risk in heart failure. This study examined the relationship between Gal-3 levels and acute and old myocardial infarction (MI) in patients assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging.



Group 1 consisted of 38 patients with ST-elevation MI and single-vessel disease treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Group 2 consisted of 52 patients with prior complicated MI. Twenty-two controls were included. CMR was performed in group 1 at 2 days, 1 week, 2 months and 1 year following PCI and in group 2 at >4 years after MI.



Median Gal-3 was elevated in patients compared with controls, group 1: 11.93 ng/ml (IQR 6.34-17.52, p = 0.03), group 2: 12.96 (IQR 6.33-19.29, p = 0.03) and controls: 10.16 (IQR 5.59-14.73). Gal-3 levels did not change during acute MI, and there was no relationship between Gal-3 and infarct size, troponin-T, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, left-ventricular (LV) volumes or LV ejection fraction (LVEF) in group 1. In group 2, Gal-3 correlated modestly with MI size (r = 0.28, p < 0.05), LV end-diastolic volume index (r = 0.40, p < 0.01), LV end-systolic volume index (r = 0.43, p < 0.01) and LVEF (r = -0.39, p < 0.01).



There was no relationship between Gal-3 levels and acute ischemic myocardial injury. A significant, modest relationship between Gal-3 levels, MI size and LV remodeling was only found in patients with old MI.
Department of Cardiology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
Erlend G
EG
Singsaas
Cord A
CA
Manhenke
Kenneth
K
Dickstein
Stein
S
Orn
D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000097:blood*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000379:methods; D000072657:ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013318:Stroke Volume; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*
D037502:Galectin 3; D002097:C-Reactive Protein