Galectin-3 and Severity of The Coronary Artery Disease in Ischemic Patients Guided by Coronary Angiography

Abstract

Background: The inflammatory process is actively involved in atherosclerosis and underlies all stages of atherosclerotic plaque development: the beginning, the progression and the plaque rupture. It has been reported that during the inflammatory process the expression of Gal-3 is increased in human atherosclerotic lesions, suggesting its involvement in atherogenesis. Aim: In the present study, we tried to evaluate the levels of Gal-3 in patients with chronic stable angina and its relation to the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the CAD risk factors such as Aging, Diabetes, Hypertension, Smoking and Dyslipidemia. Patients and Methods: Our study population consisted of 95 chronic stable angina patients who were planned for coronary angiography. All patients had clinical and/or electrocardiographic evidence of significant stable ischemic heart disease. Results: We found a significant positive correlation between CAD and Gal-3 levels (r = 0.207), (p value= 0.045). Patients with multi-vessel (MVD) had significantly higher plasma Gal-3 levels and syntax score than 3 vessel disease (TVD) and single vessel disease (SVD) (P value <0.001)., while Patients with TVD had significantly higher plasma Gal-3 levels and syntax score than SVD, but still lower than MVD Patients (P value <0.001. Conclusion: Gal-3 plasma levels were significantly correlated with the severity of CAD in chronic stable angina and can be used as a prognostic marker of chronic stable angina patients. Recommendation: We recommend that the Gal-3 might be useful for risk stratification and outcome prediction of coronary heart diseases.