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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Oct 17;24(6):1491-1500.
doi: 10.17305/bb.2024.10527.

Association between serum galectin-3 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta-analysis

Xiangyu Zhao  1 , Bo Han  1 , Wentao Tang  2 , Shanshan Ji  2 , Lie Wang  2 , Jinbao Huang  2 , Yizhong Hu  2 , Jie Li  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Association between serum galectin-3 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta-analysis

Xiangyu Zhao et al. Biomol Biomed. .

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a significant public health issue characterized by progressive and irreversible airflow limitation. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the association between changes in serum galectin-3 levels and COPD and to assess the relationship between serum galectin-3 levels and acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). Relevant observational studies were retrieved from electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). A random-effects model was used to combine the data, incorporating the influence of between-study heterogeneity. Twelve case-control studies were included. The pooled results showed a significantly higher serum level of galectin-3 in patients with COPD compared to controls (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40 - 0.80; P < 0.001; I2 = 68%). Further meta-analysis suggested higher levels of serum galectin-3 in patients with AECOPD compared to those with stable COPD (SMD 0.33; 95% CI 0.20 - 0.46; P < 0.001; I2 = 0%). Subgroup analyses according to the mean age of the participants, the proportion of males, and study quality scores did not significantly change the results (P for subgroup differences all > 0.05). In conclusion, patients with COPD were found to have higher serum levels of galectin-3, with levels further elevated in patients with AECOPD compared to those with stable COPD.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: Authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flowchart illustrating the process of literature search and study identification. COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Gal-3: Galectin-3.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Forest plots for the meta-analysis comparing the serum galectin-3 levels between patients with COPD and healthy controls. COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; AECOPD: Acute exacerbation of COPD; SD: Standard deviation; CI: Confidence interval; Gal-3: Galectin-3.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Forest plots for the subgroup analyses comparing the serum galectin-3 levels between patients with COPD and healthy controls. (A) Forest plot illustrating the subgroup analysis based on the disease status; (B) Forest plot illustrating the subgroup analysis based on the mean age of the population. COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; AECOPD: Acute exacerbation of COPD; SD: Standard deviation; CI: Confidence interval; Gal-3: Galectin-3.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Forest plots for the subgroup analyses comparing the serum galectin-3 levels between patients with COPD and healthy controls. (A) Forest plot illustrating the subgroup analyses based on the proportion of males; (B) Forest plot illustrating the subgroup analyses based on the study quality scores. COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; AECOPD: Acute exacerbation of COPD; SD: Standard deviation; CI: Confidence interval; Gal-3: Galectin-3.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Forest plots for the meta-analysis comparing the serum galectin-3 level between patients with AECOPD and stable COPD. (A) Forest plot illustrating the overall meta-analysis; (B) Forest plot illustrating the subgroup analyses based on the mean ages of the participants; (C) Forest plot illustrating the subgroup analyses based on the proportions of males; (D) Forest plot illustrating the subgroup analyses based on the study quality scores. COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; AECOPD: Acute exacerbation of COPD; SD: Standard deviation; CI: Confidence interval; Gal-3: Galectin-3.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Funnel plots for the publication biases underlying the meta-analyses. (A) Funnel plot illustrating the meta-analysis comparing the serum galectin-3 level between patients with COPD and healthy controls; (B) Funnel plot illustrating the meta-analysis comparing the serum galectin-3 level between patients with AECOPD and stable COPD. COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; AECOPD: Acute exacerbation of COPD; SMD: Standardized mean difference.
Figure S1.
Figure S1.
The search syntax used in the meta-analysis. COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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