Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Aug 23;24(17):13111.
doi: 10.3390/ijms241713111.

The Role of Galectin-3 in Heart Failure-The Diagnostic, Prognostic and Therapeutic Potential-Where Do We Stand?

Beata Zaborska  1 , Małgorzata Sikora-Frąc  1 , Krzysztof Smarż  1 , Ewa Pilichowska-Paszkiet  1 , Andrzej Budaj  1 , Dariusz Sitkiewicz  2 , Grażyna Sygitowicz  2
Affiliations
Review

The Role of Galectin-3 in Heart Failure-The Diagnostic, Prognostic and Therapeutic Potential-Where Do We Stand?

Beata Zaborska et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome with high morbidity and mortality, and its prevalence is rapidly increasing. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is an important factor in the pathophysiology of HF, mainly due to its role in cardiac fibrosis, inflammation, and ventricular remodeling. Fibrosis is a hallmark of cardiac remodeling, HF, and atrial fibrillation development. This review aims to explore the involvement of Gal-3 in HF and its role in the pathogenesis and clinical diagnostic and prognostic significance. We report data on Gal-3 structure and molecular mechanisms of biological function crucial for HF development. Over the last decade, numerous studies have shown an association between echocardiographic and CMR biomarkers in HF and Gal-3 serum concentration. We discuss facts and concerns about Gal-3's utility in acute and chronic HF with preserved and reduced ejection fraction for diagnosis, prognosis, and risk stratification. Finally, we present attempts to use Gal-3 as a therapeutic target in HF.

Keywords: atrial fibrillation; fibrosis; galectin-3; heart failure.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Major pathophysiological mechanisms leading to the onset and progression of HF.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Structure of the galectin family members.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The intracellular and extracellular functions of Gal-3.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The role of galectin-3 in fibrosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. McDonagh T.A., Metra M., Adamo M., Gardner R.S., Baumbach A., Bohm M., Burri H., Butler J., Celutkiene J., Chioncel O., et al. 2021 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. Eur. Heart J. 2021;42:3599–3726. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab368. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Savarese G., Becher P.M., Lund L.H., Seferovic P., Rosano G.M.C., Coats A.J.S. Global burden of heart failure: A comprehensive and updated review of epidemiology. Cardiovasc. Res. 2023;118:3272–3287. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvac013. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Heidenreich P.A., Bozkurt B., Aguilar D., Allen L.A., Byun J.J., Colvin M.M., Deswal A., Drazner M.H., Dunlay S.M., Evers L.R., et al. 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2022;145:e895–e1032. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001063. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Castiglione V., Aimo A., Vergaro G., Saccaro L., Passino C., Emdin M. Biomarkers for the diagnosis and management of heart failure. Heart Fail. Rev. 2022;27:625–643. doi: 10.1007/s10741-021-10105-w. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Blanda V., Bracale U.M., Di Taranto M.D., Fortunato G. Galectin-3 in Cardiovascular Diseases. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020;21:9232. doi: 10.3390/ijms21239232. - DOI - PMC - PubMed