Medical University Varna, Varna, Bulgaria.
Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2021 Jun 30;63(3):329-336. doi: 10.3897/folmed.63.e55313.
Cardiac fibrosis is the hallmark of atrial remodeling in atrial fibrillation. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a biomarker of fibrosis. It is well studied in heart failure, but the data about its role in atrial fibrillation are sparse.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the levels of Gal-3 in patients with atrial fibrillation after sinus rhythm restoration, to examine the association between this biomarker and other factors for developing atrial fibrillation and to assess its prognostic role.
We included 67 patients (35 male) at the mean age of 67.36±7.25 years, with Gal-3 test after sinus rhythm restoration, a subgroup of participants in placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of treatment with spironolactone. They were followed up for atrial fibrillation recurrence and hospitalizations. The effect of demographic parameters and other factors on Gal-3 levels were evaluated before and one year after treatment.
Mean Gal-3 at baseline was 16.9±6.8 ng/ml. Higher levels of Gal-3 were associated with female gender (р=0.008), increasing age (р=0.005), renal dysfunction (p<0.0001) and gout (р=0.002). Higher thromboembolic risk as assessed by CHA2DS2-VASc score was significantly related to Gal-3. The levels of biomarker did not affect the number of atrial fibrillation recurrences (p=0.9) and hospitalizations. No correlation was found with treatment with spironolactone, antiarrhythmic and antihypertensive drugs.
Higher Gal-3 in atrial fibrillation was associated with female sex, renal dysfunction, and history of gout. The levels of Gal-3 were not related to rhythm control. Treatment with spironolactone did not affect the biomarker of fibrosis Gal-3 in AF patients. Higher Gal-3 was related to high embolic risk.
心房纤维化是心房颤动心房重构的标志。半乳糖凝集素-3（Gal-3）是纤维化的生物标志物。它在心衰中研究较多，但关于其在心房颤动中作用的数据较少。
本研究旨在评估窦性节律恢复后心房颤动患者的 Gal-3 水平，探讨该生物标志物与其他心房颤动发生因素的关系，并评估其预后作用。
我们纳入了 67 名（35 名男性）平均年龄为 67.36±7.25 岁的患者，这些患者在窦性节律恢复后进行了 Gal-3 检测，其中一部分参与者参与了螺内酯治疗的安慰剂对照随机临床试验。我们对这些患者进行了心房颤动复发和住院的随访。评估了治疗前后人口统计学参数和其他因素对 Gal-3 水平的影响。
基线时 Gal-3 的平均水平为 16.9±6.8ng/ml。Gal-3 水平较高与女性（р=0.008）、年龄增加（р=0.005）、肾功能不全（p<0.0001）和痛风（р=0.002）有关。CHA2DS2-VASc 评分评估的血栓栓塞风险较高与 Gal-3 显著相关。生物标志物水平不影响心房颤动复发的次数（p=0.9）和住院次数。与螺内酯、抗心律失常和抗高血压药物的治疗也没有相关性。
心房颤动中 Gal-3 水平较高与女性、肾功能不全和痛风病史有关。Gal-3 水平与节律控制无关。在 AF 患者中，螺内酯治疗不会影响纤维化生物标志物 Gal-3。Gal-3 水平较高与高栓塞风险有关。
