Evaluation of galectin-3 levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most common manifestation of diabetes, accounting for about 90% of diagnosed cases. The causes of T2DM are not fully understood, but its pathogenesis is possibly associated with increased adiposity and a chronic low-grade inflammatory response. The glycoprotein galectin-3 (Gal-3) is known to play an important role in the modulation of blood glucose, adiposity, and inflammation. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate Gal-3 levels in patients with T2DM and chronic kidney disease (CKD), in addition to relating them with complications and comorbidities present in these patients, comparing them to a control group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Gal-3 was evaluated in 84 selected individuals, of which 42 had clinical and laboratory diagnosis of T2DM and CKD (treated at Santa Casa Hospital in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil), and 42 individuals from the local community, with no history of diabetes (control group). RESULTS AND DISCURSION: Gal-3 levels were significantly higher (p = 0.012) in the T2DM group (15.17 ± 5.54 ng/ml) when compared to the control group (12.62 ± 3.2 ng/ml). There was a tendency for higher levels of Gal-3 in diabetic patients with hypertension (15.74 ± 5.61 ng/ml) when compared to patients without this complication (10.96 ± 2.49 ng/ml) (p = 0.069) CONCLUSION: The results suggest that Gal-3 may be involved in the pathophysiology of T2DM and still be a promising biomarker associated with hypertension in this group.