• Zhiheng Xu, Xi Li, Yongbo Huang, Pu Mao, Sulong Wu, Baoxin Yang, Yuanyuan Yang, Kangxie Chen, Xiaoqing Liu, and Yimin Li.
• *State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou, China †Department of Infection Control, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
• Shock. 2017 Mar 1; 47 (3): 331-336.

BackgroundGalectin-3 is a β-galactoside-binding lectin implicated as a mediator in a variety of inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. However, information about galectin-3 release in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is very limited. We sought to determine whether plasma galectin-3 levels were increased in ARDS patients and were associated with disease severity.MethodsPatients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) within 48 h and diagnosed with ARDS were identified. In addition, healthy subjects were assigned to a control group. Plasma samples were collected from patients within 48 h after ICU admission as well as healthy subjects. Plasma galectin-3 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The primary outcome was mortality at 28 days.ResultsSixty-three ARDS patients were identified. Among these, 27 patients died within 28 days of admission. The plasma galectin-3 levels of the patients were significantly higher than those of control subjects (median [IQR]: 12.37 [7.94-18.79] vs. 5.01 [4.15-5.69] ng/mL, respectively, P <0.0001). Furthermore, galectin-3 levels were significantly higher in non-surviving patients than in those who survived (15.38 [11.59-22.98] vs. 10.07 [7.39-15.54] ng/mL, respectively, P = 0.0136). Plasma galectin-3 levels were significantly correlated with acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II scores and arterial oxygen tension/inspiratory oxygen fraction ratios (Spearman rho = 0.44, P <0.0001 and -0.616, P <0.0001, respectively). At an optimal cutoff of 10.59 ng/mL, the sensitivity and specificity of galectin-3 for prediction of 28-day mortality were 81.48% (95% CI 0.62-0.94) and 55.56% (95% CI 0.38-0.72), respectively.ConclusionsHigher levels of galectin-3 were significantly associated with disease severity and worse outcomes in ARDS patients.

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