Clin Res Cardiol (2021). 10.1007/s00392-021-01933-9

Galectin reflects Right Ventricular Function assessed by Echocardiography
M. Harbrücker1, M. Natale1, T. Bertsch2, T. Schupp1, S. Lindner1, S.-H. Kim1, S. Ziyadova1, J. Müller1, M. Borggrefe1, S. Lang1, I. Akin1, M. Behnes1, für die Studiengruppe: CIBER
1I. Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Mannheim; 2Institut für klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin und Transfusionsmedizin, Klinikum Nürnberg Nord, Nürnberg;

Background: The appropriate assessment of the right ventricle in clinical routine often tends to remain unattended and therefore does not do justice to the important role in heart failure. However, the communicative role of right ventricular function between pulmonary and systemic circulation demands further investigation. Galectin as a novel cardiac biomarker, might aid early diagnosis of right heart failure and thus lead to better clinical outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the association between Galectin and right ventricular function (RVF) assessed by echocardiography.

Methods:
 Patients undergoing routine echocardiography were prospectively enrolled in the present monocentric study. Patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVEF <50 %) or moderate or severe aortic or mitral valvular heart diseases were excluded. Blood samples for measurements of Galectin and NT-proBNP were collected at the day of echocardiographic examination. Subgroups of RVF based on tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) were defined (I: TAPSE > 24 mm (n=23); II: TAPSE 18-24 mm (n=53); III: TAPSE < 18 (n=13)).

Results:
 A total of 89 patients were included. Levels of Galectin as well as NT-proBNP increased significantly according to decreasing right ventricular function (MR-proADM: p=0.015, NT-proBNP: p=0.002). Furthermore, Galectin correlated significantly with TAPSE (p=0.004). Both, Galectin and NT-proBNP were able to discriminate patients with severe right ventricular dysfunction RVF III (Galectin: AUC=0.749, p=0.004; NT-proBNP: AUC=0.803, p=0.0001). Even after multivariable adjustment in logistic regression models, Galectin was still associated with RVF of grade III (OR=0.944; p=0.019).

Conclusions:
 This study demonstrates that Galectin is able to reflect RVF assessed by echocardiography and might thus be a useful marker for detecting right heart failure at early stages.

 


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