Galectin-3 as a Prognostic Biomarker in Patients with First Acute Myocardial Infarction without Heart Failure

Rada M Vucic; Olivera M Andrejic; Dragana Stokanovic; Tatjana Jevtovic Stoimenov; Lana McClements; Valentina N Nikolic; Miodrag Sreckovic; Mirjana Veselinovic; Srdjan Aleksandric; Viseslav Popadic; Marija Zdravkovic; Milan Pavlovic

doi:10.3390/diagnostics13213348

Galectin-3 as a Prognostic Biomarker in Patients with First Acute Myocardial Infarction without Heart Failure

Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 Oct 31;13(21):3348. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13213348.

Authors

Rada M Vucic^{1

2}, Olivera M Andrejic³, Dragana Stokanovic⁴, Tatjana Jevtovic Stoimenov⁵, Lana McClements⁶, Valentina N Nikolic⁴, Miodrag Sreckovic^{1

2}, Mirjana Veselinovic¹, Srdjan Aleksandric^{7

8}, Viseslav Popadic⁹, Marija Zdravkovic^{8

9}, Milan Pavlovic^{10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica Street 69, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
² Clinic of Cardiology, University Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Zmaj Jovina Street 30, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
³ Clinic for Pulmonology, University Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Zmaj Jovina Street 30, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
⁴ Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty, University of Nis, Bulevar dr Zorana Djindjica 81, 18000 Nis, Serbia.
⁵ Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Nis, Bulevar dr Zorana Djindjica 81, 18000 Nis, Serbia.
⁶ School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
⁷ Cardiology Clinic, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
⁸ Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
⁹ Clinic for Internal Medicine, University Clinical Hospital Center Bezanijska Kosa, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia.
¹⁰ Department of Internal Medicine-Cardiology, Medical Faculty, University of Nis, Bulevar dr Zorana Djindjica 81, 18000 Nis, Serbia.
¹¹ Clinic for Cardiovascular Diseases, University Clinical Centre Nis, Bulevar dr Zorana Djindjica 48, 18000 Nis, Serbia.

Abstract

Background: Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a biomarker involved in a wide range of diseases including cardiac remodeling following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Identification of prognostic markers in patients with AMI can guide strategies towards improved survival and quality of life.

Methods: Our study included 59 patients with AMI and a preserved ejection fraction. We determined the Gal-3 plasma concentration within 24 h of chest pain onset from the aortic root, femoral/radial artery, coronary sinus and cubital vein. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) were evaluated at six months follow-up.

Results: MACE at six months post-AMI was recorded in 20 patients (34%). The Gal-3 plasma concentration from the aortic root and the femoral/radial artery were independent predictors of MACE at six months follow-up after the first AMI (OR 1.228; 95%CI: 1.011-1.491; p = 0.038; OR 3.438; 95%CI: 1.275-9.265; p = 0.015). ROC analysis identifies the Gal-3 plasma concentration from the aortic root as a better predictor of MACE or death (cut-off ≥ 10.86 ng/mL; AUC 0.858; 95%CI: 0.744-0.973; p < 0.001) than Gal-3 plasma concentration from the femoral/radial artery (cut-off ≥ 10.18 ng/mL; AUC 0.742; 95%CI: 0.596-0.888; p = 0.006).

Conclusion: the Gal-3 plasma concentration in patients with AMI determined during coronary angiography, especially from the aortic root, within 24 h after chest pain onset is a valuable biomarker of prognosis at six months follow-up.

Keywords: acute myocardial infarction; galectin-3; major adverse cardiovascular events.

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis (grant No. INT-MF19). The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia (451-03-47/2023-01/200113) for financial support. L.M. is funded by the Future Leader Fellowship Level 1 from the National Heart Foundation of Australia (106628). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, preparation of the manuscript or decision about its publication.