School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan.
Division of Nephrology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97004, Taiwan.
Toxins (Basel). 2021 Jul 29;13(8):532. doi: 10.3390/toxins13080532.
Galectin-3, which is a novel biomarker of cardiovascular stress and related to inflammation, could predict adverse cardiovascular events. However, its relationship with endothelial function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum galectin-3 levels and endothelial function in patients with stages 3-5 CKD. Fasting blood samples were obtained from 130 patients. Serum galectin-3 levels were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The endothelial function, demonstrated as a vascular reactivity index (VRI), was measured noninvasively through digital thermal monitoring test. Then, we sorted the patients into poor, intermediate, and good vascular reactivity (VRI < 1.0, 1.0 ≤ VRI < 2.0, and VRI ≥ 2.0), accounting for 24 (18.5%), 44 (33.8%), and 62 (47.7%) patients, respectively. As the VRI decreased, the serum galectin-3 and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels significantly increased. The galectin-3 value positively correlated with the CRP value but negatively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate. In multivariable stepwise linear regression analysis, serum log-transformed galectin-3 level and log-transformed CRP were significantly negatively associated with VRI values. Therefore, galectin-3 together with CRP is associated with VRI values and is a potential endothelial function modulator and a valuable biomarker of endothelial dysfunction in patients with CKD.
半乳糖凝集素-3 是一种心血管应激的新型生物标志物，与炎症有关，可预测不良心血管事件。然而，其与慢性肾脏病（CKD）患者内皮功能的关系尚不清楚。本研究旨在探讨 3-5 期 CKD 患者血清半乳糖凝集素-3 水平与内皮功能的关系。采集 130 例患者的空腹血样。采用酶联免疫吸附试验测定血清半乳糖凝集素-3 水平。通过数字热监测试验无创测量内皮功能，表现为血管反应性指数（VRI）。然后，我们将患者分为血管反应性差（VRI<1.0）、中等（1.0≤VRI<2.0）和良好（VRI≥2.0）三组，分别有 24（18.5%）、44（33.8%）和 62（47.7%）例患者。随着 VRI 的降低，血清半乳糖凝集素-3 和 C 反应蛋白（CRP）水平显著升高。半乳糖凝集素-3 值与 CRP 值呈正相关，与估算肾小球滤过率呈负相关。多元逐步线性回归分析显示，血清半乳糖凝集素-3 和 CRP 的对数值与 VRI 值显著负相关。因此，半乳糖凝集素-3 与 CRP 一起与 VRI 值相关，是 CKD 患者内皮功能的潜在调节因子和有价值的内皮功能障碍生物标志物。
