Galectin-3-binding protein is a risk factor for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and inflammation. Cross-sectional and longitudinal results from the InCHIANTI study

Abstract

Galectin-3-binding protein (Lgals3bp), a heavily glycosylated protein that plays a role in cell growth, inflammation, and cellular adhesion, has been associated with tumor development and more recently with carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The primary aims of these analyses are to examine in the InCHIANTI study participants: 1) the cross-sectional correlations of Lgals3bp serum levels with biomarkers of inflammation, glucose, and cholesterol metabolism; 2) the longitudinal association between baseline Lgals3bp serum levels with changes over time of inflammatory markers, blood glucose, and cholesterol. The InCHIANTI study enrolled representative samples from the registry lists of two towns in Tuscany, Italy. Baseline data were collected in 1998, with follow up visits every three years up to nine years. For this analysis, we used 866 subjects whose variables of interest had been recorded. Subjects were divided in two groups according to Lgals3bp levels, above median AM-Lgals3bp and below median BM-Lgals3bp. In cross-sectional analyses higher blood glucose, plasma insulin, elevated leptin, lower LDL-cholesterol, and inflammatory makers were associated to AM-Lgals3bp levels. Longitudinally, baseline AM-Lgals3bp levels were associated with incident diabetes, MetS, chronic liver diseases, and high multimorbidity score. Lastly AM-Lgals3bp levels predicted high blood-glucose, and high HS-C-Reactive-protein, and low HDL-cholesterol throughout the time of the study. These results point to the role of Lgals3bp in affecting low-grade age-related inflammation, low circulating cholesterol levels, and diabetes. Therefore, Lgals3bp could be further evaluated for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.