IMR Press / RCM / Volume 25 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2504124
Open Access Original Research
High Serum Galectin-3 Level as a Potential Biomarker of Peripheral Artery Disease in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis
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1 Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, 62247 Chiayi, Taiwan
2 Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, 97010 Hualien, Taiwan
3 School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, 97004 Hualien, Taiwan
*Correspondence: tsaininimd1491@gmail.com (Jen-Pi Tsai)
These authors contributed equally.
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2024, 25(4), 124; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2504124
Submitted: 6 October 2023 | Revised: 4 December 2023 | Accepted: 12 December 2023 | Published: 29 March 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research of Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease)
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Galectin-3 is implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammation and atherosclerosis. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), characterized by a reduced ankle-brachial index (ABI), is a prognostic marker for mortality in patients on hemodialysis. We investigated the relationship between serum galectin-3 levels and PAD in patients undergoing regular hemodialysis. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study at a medical center, involving 92 participants. Serum galectin-3 levels were assessed by a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ABI measurement was done with an automatic device based on oscillometry. Participants were categorized into two groups, normal and low ABI, based on a 0.9 cut-off point. Results: Eighteen patients (19.6%) exhibited a low ABI. In individuals with low ABIs, we observed a greater prevalence of diabetes mellitus, elevated serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, increased galectin-3 levels, and lower serum creatinine levels. Furthermore, serum galectin-3 levels (odds ratio [OR]: 1.056, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.003–1.112, p = 0.037) and CRP (per 0.1 mg/dL increment, OR: 1.195, 95% CI: 1.032–1.383, p = 0.017) were identified as independent predictors of PAD. Serum galectin-3 and log-transformed CRP levels were also independently and significantly negatively correlated with the left and right ABI values. Conclusions: Serum galectin-3 levels correlate with PAD in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.

Keywords
C-reactive protein
hemodialysis
galectin-3
peripheral artery disease
Funding
TCRD107-56/Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation
TCMF-CP 110-02/Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation
Figures
Fig. 1.
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