Objective We performed a prospective observational study to explore the prognostic value of plasma galectin-3, a biomarker for fibrosis and inflammation, in Chinese patients with heart failure (HF). Methods and results Galectin-3, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and other clinically related variables were measured in consecutive HF patients in Beijing Hospital. Specifically, galectin-3 was detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The primary end point was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including all-cause mortality or readmission at the end of follow-up. The secondary end point was all-cause mortality. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was determined by COX regression model. In total, 272 patients were included in this study with a median age of 77 years, of whom 55.9% were male. During a median follow-up of 584 (415-813) days, 53 patients (19.5%) died and 103 patients (37.9%) died and/or required readmission. Plasma galectin-3 levels by tertiles were associated with an increased risk for the primary end point (P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the third tertile of galectin-3 was associated with an increased rate of MACE, compared with the first and second tertiles, with the log rank P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively. In addition, the multivariate COX regression model showed that the highest tertile of galectin-3 was associated with an increased risk for MACE (HR =2.13, 95% confidence interval: 1.24-3.68, P = 0.006), compared with the lowest tertile after adjustment for age, NT-proBNP, creatinine, uric acid, albumin, haemoglobin, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Conclusion Plasma galectin-3 is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and/or readmission in Chinese patients with HF.
Keywords: Galectin-3; fibrosis; heart failure; prognosis.