Galectin-3 is a biomarker of fibrosis and atrial remodeling, involved in the mechanisms of initiation and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). We sought to study the accuracy of galectin-3 level in predicting recurrences of AF after ablation. Serum concentrations of galectin-3 were determined in a consecutive series of patients addressed for AF ablation in our center. After a 3-month blanki...

OBJECTIVES Many efforts have shown multi-oncologic roles of galectin-3 for cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. However, the mechanisms by which galectin-3 is involved in cell proliferation are not yet fully understood, especially in human colon cancer cells. METHODS To cluster genes showing positively or negatively correlated expression with galectin-3, we employed human colon ca...

Multivalent protein-carbohydrate interactions that are mediated by sugar-binding proteins, i.e., lectins, have been implicated in a myriad of intercellular recognition processes associated with tumor progression such as galectin-mediated cancer cellular migration/metastatic processes. Here, using a modified ELISA, we show that glycodendrimers bearing mixtures of galactosides, lactosides, and N-...

BACKGROUND Inflammatory mechanisms have been proposed to be important in heart failure (HF), and cytokines have been implicated to add to the progression of HF. However, it is unclear whether such mechanisms are already activated when hypertrophied hearts still appear well-compensated and whether such early mechanisms contribute to the development of HF. METHODS AND RESULTS In a comprehensive...

BACKGROUND The prevalence of thyroid nodules increases with age, average 4-7% for the U.S.A. adult population, but it is much higher (19-67%) when sub-clinical nodules are considered. About 90% of these lesions are benign and a reliable approach to their preoperative characterization is necessary. Unfortunately conventional thyroid scintigraphy does not allow the distinction among benign and ma...

Galectin-3 is a multifunctional beta-galactoside-binding protein implicated in apoptosis, malignant transformation, and tumor progression. The mechanisms by which galectin-3 contributes to malignant progression are not fully understood. In this study, we found that the introduction of wild-type galectin-3 into nontumorigenic, galectin-3-null BT549 human breast epithelial cells conferred tumorig...

BACKGROUND Lifetime risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease is high but predicting incident events on an individual level remains difficult. Single measurements of galectin-3, a marker of tissue fibrosis, predict mortality and new-onset heart failure (HF). Persistently elevated levels may indicate a clinically silent disease process. OBJECTIVES Our aim was to establish the value of serial galect...

BACKGROUND In several cross-sectional analyses, circulating baseline levels of galectin-3, a protein involved in myocardial fibrosis and remodeling, have been associated with increased risk for morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). The importance and clinical use of repeated measurements of galectin-3 have not yet been reported. METHODS AND RESULTS Plasma galectin-3 was...

PURPOSE Galectin-3, a member of the beta-galactoside-binding lectin family, has multiple biological functions including cell-cell interactions and cell-extracellular matrix adhesion, cellular proliferation, cellular differentiation, and apoptosis. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of galectin-3 expression to clinicopathological findings and patient prognosis in ductal aden...

BACKGROUND Galectin-3, a biomarker associated with fibrosis and inflammation, has been implicated in development and progression of heart failure (HF) and predicts increased mortality and morbidity in this condition. HF frequently develops after myocardial infarction (MI), contributing to worse outcome. The aim of this study is to assess the association between galectin-3 levels and various cli...