Galectin-3 as a Biomarker of Disease Severity in Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure
1Gastroenterology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City, Mexico, 2Molecular Biology, Panamerican University, School of Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico, 3University of the Americas Puebla, School of Medicine, Puebla, Mexico, 4Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City, Mexico, 5Surgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO
Meeting: 2020 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: C-341
Keywords: Inflammation, Liver cirrhosis, Liver failure, Liver transplantation
Session Information
Session Name: Poster Session C: Biomarkers, Immune Assessment and Clinical Outcomes
Session Type: Poster Session
Date: Saturday, May 30, 2020
Session Time: 3:15pm-4:00pm
Presentation Time: 3:30pm-4:00pm
Location: Virtual
*Purpose: A matter of great importance is the discovery of alternative diagnostic measures that can detect liver disease at an early stage, especially when at risk of developing acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF), to optimize outcome and survival. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a lectin that binds to β-galactosides and can be secreted to the systemic circulation, regulating inflammation and fibrosis. Due to its direct role in inflammation and fibrosis, levels of this lectin can reflect the progression of liver damage and the possible consequent multiorgan failure, which is a distinctive characteristic of ACLF. The purpose of this study is to determine if liver Gal-3 expression is a useful biomarker of disease progression.
*Methods: Liver samples from cirrhotic patients with compensated, decompensated cirrhosis and ACLF were collected at the time of liver transplant. The liver from donors was used as controls. RNA was extracted and liver Gal-3 expression was analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The values obtained were correlated with clinical and biochemical parameters using Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficients. A comparison among 3 different groups was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn’s multiple comparisons test.
*Results: Liver Gal-3 expression is significantly higher in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and ACLF (p < 0.0001) compared to controls. Interestingly, correlation analysis with Gal-3 liver expression, showed that Gal-3 positively correlates with MELD score (p < 0.01, r= 0.35), total bilirubin (p < 0.001, r= 0.38) and INR (p < 0.01, r= 0.32). Moreover, although not significant, a positive correlation trend is observed with creatinine (p= 0.3, r= 0.12), a marker of kidney failure, one of the most common organ failures presented in ACLF patients.
*Conclusions: These results point out the potential role of Gal-3 as a biomarker of liver disease severity, whose hepatic expression correlates with a worsening on clinical and biochemical parameters, especially in ACLF patients.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Cervantes-Alvarez E, Tejeda-Dominguez F, Lizardo-Thiebaud M, Alatorre-Arenas E, Méndez-Guerrero O, Yarza-Regalado S, Kershenobich D, Torre A, Vilatobá M, Huang CA, Navarro-Alvarez N. Galectin-3 as a Biomarker of Disease Severity in Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2020; 20 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/galectin-3-as-a-biomarker-of-disease-severity-in-acute-on-chronic-liver-failure/. Accessed May 16, 2025.« Back to 2020 American Transplant Congress