Introduction:
Galectin-3 is a 35 kDa β-galactoside-binding lectin which has been proposed as a novel biomarker of heart failure primarily due to its involvement in myocardial fibrosis. Elevated levels of galectin-3 may be associated with fibrosis of other organs, such as the kidney, and increase the risk of developing kidney disease.
Methods:
Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we prospectively analyzed Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study participants with measurements of plasma galectin-3 levels at baseline (visit 4, 1996-98) and without prevalent kidney disease or heart failure (N=9,647). Incident chronic kidney disease was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m
2
accompanied by 25% eGFR decline, chronic kidney disease-related hospitalization or death, or end-stage renal disease between baseline and December 31, 2013.
Results:
2,105 participants (22%) developed incident chronic kidney disease over a median follow-up of 16 years. The mean (standard deviation) plasma level of galectin-3 was 14.7 (4.4) ng/mL. At baseline, galectin-3 was cross-sectionally associated with eGFR (r = -0.31) and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) (r = 0.19). After adjusting for demographics and kidney disease risk factors, there was a significant, graded, and positive association between galectin-3 and incident chronic kidney disease (quartile 4 vs. 1 HR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.62, 2.09, p for trend <0.001). The association between galectin-3 and incident chronic kidney disease was attenuated but remained significant after accounting for eGFR and UACR (quartile 4 vs. 1 HR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.39, 1.80, p for trend <0.001). The association was similar by diabetes status (p for interaction = 0.33) and stronger among those with hypertension (p for interaction = 0.004).
Conclusion:
In this community-based population, higher plasma galectin-3 levels were associated with elevated risk of developing incident chronic kidney disease, particularly among those with hypertension.
Relations of liver fat with prevalent and incident chronic kidney disease in the Framingham Heart Study: A secondary analysis
