Serum galectin-3 levels in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Objectives: Galectin-3 might serve as a biomarker of human metabolic alterations. We measured serum levels of galectin-3 in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and examined their association with clinical and histological phenotypes. Design and methods: Serum levels of galectin-3 were assayed in 71 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 39 controls. Results: Serum galectin-3 levels did not differ in patients with NAFLD (median 4.1 ng/mL; interquartile range: 1.5-5.5 ng/mL) compared with healthy controls (median 3.1 ng/mL; interquartile range: 0.8-7.5 ng/mL, P = 0.93). Among patients with NAFLD, however, serum galectin-3 levels correlated significantly with BMI (r = 0.267, P<0.05). This association persisted after adjustment for potential confounders (beta = 0.30; t = 2.11, P<0.05). Conclusions: Although galectin-3 was modestly associated with BMI, our results do not support the hypothesis that levels of this molecule are altered in patients with NAFLD. (C) 2011 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.