Higher serum galectin-3 was associated with higher risks of all-cause mortality (adjusted risk ratio [RR], 1.58; p < 0.001), mortality/HF rehospitalization (RR, 1.68; p < 0.001), and cardiovascular mortality (RR, 1.29; p = 0.04), but not HF rehospitalization (RR, 1.24; p = 0.25) in AHF patients.
We have discussed the established biomarkers for AHF including cardiac troponins and natriuretic peptides and emerging biomarkers including adiponectin, mi-RNA, sST2, Gal-3, MR-proADM, OPG, CT-proAVP and H-FABP for the purposes of making diagnosis, their use as a guide of therapy or for determination of prognosis.
There is no etiology dependent prognostic ability of NT-proBNP or ST2 in patients with acute HF, but for galectin-3 there is no added prognostic ability in ischemic HF.
Seven circulating biomarkers [NT-proBNP, high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), soluble ST2 (sST2), growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), cystatin-C, galectin-3, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)] were measured at baseline and on days 2, 5, 14, and 60 in 1161 patients enrolled in the RELAX-AHF trial.
Galectin-3 can be used as a biomarker for the prognosis evaluation of acute heart failure, and its combined analysis can increase the predictive value of NT-proBNP.