Assessment of Galectin 3 as a New Biomarker of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic HCV Egyptian Patients and its Correlation to Transient Elastography, FIB-4 Index, and APRI Score

Abstract

Abstract Background Invasive liver biopsy is the current method for the assessment of liver fibrosis. In search of noninvasive alternatives, galectin-3-binding protein (G3BP) was introduced as a candidate-marker of hepatitis C-related fibrosis based on serum proteomics. Aim of the Work to evaluate serum Galectin-3 as a marker of liver fibrosis and correlate it to the stage of fibrosis assessed by FibroScan, FIB-4 index and APRI score Patients and Methods This was prospective study, was carried out on 30 patients with liver fibrosis/cirrhosis due to chronic HCV inthe Hepatic Virology Unit and the gastroenterology department of Ain Shams university hospitals and 30 health controls with normal, non fibrotic and non cirrhotic, liver, from January 2022 to June 2022 Results There were high significant difference between both groups as regard Serum level of Galectin-3 and APRI score. Conclusion Serum level of galectin-3 was highly expressed in chronic HCV Egyptain patients and positively correlated to FIB-4 index, APRI score and fibroscan.so the serum level of galectin-3 beside other modalities, lab investigations and clinical examination may guide us about the progression to fibrosis and cirrhosis in those patients. In these patients, if galectin-3 levels were found to be high, serum alpha-feto protein level and ultrasonographic examination could be repeated at more frequent intervals. This may also guide us in terms of the treatment plan. Measurement of galectin-3 in sera of large number of patients and follow up may pave the way to pick up early fibrosis and showed its prognostic effect.