Supportive Data for Galectin-3 as a Prognostic Factor in Coronary Artery Disease

Introduction: Galectin-3 is known as a biomarker in patients with heart failure. This protein participates in different mechanisms involved in atherosclerosis including inflammation and plaque formation. This study was conducted to investigate whether this factor could be a predictive biomarker for the severity of atherosclerosis. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 80 patients with coronary atherosclerosis referred to the Department of Cardiac Surgery of Ghaem Hospital, affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. The serum level of galectin-3 was measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), evaluated by the serum levels of galectin-3, was expressed as the number of involved vessels. Results: Galectin-3 concentration was directly correlated with the number of involved vessels.The serum level of galectin-3 was significantly higher in patients with four involved vessels (20.76±7.20 ng/ml) than those with three-vessel disease (14.31±4.45 ng/ml; P<0.001). Patients with three-vessel disease had higher levels of galectin-3 than patients with one and two involved vessels (7.20±4.09 ng/ml; P<0.001). Conclusion: The relationship between the number of vessels involved and the concentration of Galectin-3 was statistically significant. According to the results, serum galectin-3 level is considered as a noninvasive tool for the diagnosis of preliminary assuming the coronary artery involvement. Although this study needs further detailed investigations with preferably larger sample size, the results of the present study highlighted the importance of this factor in CAD. This protein can help in early evaluations for preliminary determining the prognosis before the complementary aggressive intervention.