Background: The clinical utility of galectin-3 and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) needs to be further explored since previous studies show divergent results in relation to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular risk. Hence, the aim of this research was to explore galectin-3 and FGF-23 in relation to T2D, as well as to examine the potential association of these biomarkers with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score in Montenegrin adults.
Methods: A total of 35 T2D patients and 36 controls were consecutively enrolled. Serum galectin-3 and FGF-23 were determined by ELISA. The ASCVD risk score was calculated.
Results: Higher serum galectin-3 levels were shown in T2D patients (p=0.016) in comparison with the control group. The increase in galectin-3 levels for 1 ng/mL showed an 8.5% higher probability of T2D occurrence (OR=1.085, p=0.015). FGF-23 levels did not differ between the control and the T2D group. Serum galectin-3 correlated with FGF23 (r=0.390, p=0.001). Both galectin-3 (r=0.306, p=0.010) and FGF-23 (r=0.332, p=0.005) correlated with ASCVD risk score in bivariate Spearman's correlation analysis, but these correlations were not retained in binary logistic regression analysis.
Conclusions: Serum galectin-3 levels but not FGF-23 are higher in T2D patients. Serum galectin-3 correlated with FGF-23. Although both biomarkers were correlated with the ASCVD risk score, further statistical analysis did not confirm their independent associations with cardiovascular risk. Studies with a large sample size are needed to further explore this issue.
Uvod: Klinička primena galektina-3 i fibroblastnog faktora rasta-23 (FGF-23) zahteva dodatna istraživanja s obzirom da su dosadašnje studije pokazale oprečne rezultate u odnosu na dijabetes tip 2 i kardiovaskularni rizik. S tim u vezi, cilj ovog istraživanja je bio da ispita galektin-3 i FGF-23 kod pacijenata sa dijabetesom tip 2, kao i da se ispita potencijalna povezanost ovih biomarkera sa skorom aterosklerotskog kardiovaskularnog rizika (ASCVD) u adultnoj crnogorskoj populaciji.
Metode: Ukupno 35 pacijenata obolelih od dijabetesa i 36 ispitanika koji su činili kontrolnu grupu su konsekutivno uključeni u istraživanje. Serumske vrednosti galektina-3 and FGF-23 su merene ELISA metodom. ASCVD skor rizika je izračunat.
Rezultati: Veče serumske vrednosti galektina-3 su zabeležene kod pacijenata obolelih od dijabetesa tip 2 (p=0,016) u poređenju sa kontrolnom grupom. Porast nivoa galektina-3 za 1 jedinicu pokazao je 8,5% veču vjerovatnoču za pojavu dijabetesa (OR=1,085, p=0,015). Vrednosti FGF-23 se nisu razlikovale među ispitivanim grupama. Serumske vrednosti galektina-3 su korelirale sa FGF-23 (p=0,390, p= 0,001 ). I galektin-3 ( p = 0,306, p= 0,01 0) i FGF-23 (p =0,332, p=0,005) su korelirali sa AscVd skorom rizika u Spearman-ovoj korelacionoj analizi, ali ove korelacije nisu zadržane u binarnoj logističkoj regresionoj analizi.
Zaključak: Serumske vrednosti galektina-3, ali ne i FGF-23 su veče kod pacijenata obolelih od dijabetesa tip 2. Serumske vrednosti galektina-3 su korelirale sa FGF-23. Premda su oba biomarkera korelirala sa ASCVD skorom rizika, dublja statistička analiza nije potvrdila nezavisnu povezanost ovih biomarkera sa kardiovaskularnim rizikom. Potrebna su istraživanja na večem broju ispitanika da dodatno istraže ulogu ovih biomarkera u dijabetesu tip 2.
Keywords: biomarkers; diabetes; inflammation; insulin resistance.
2025 Aleksandra Klisic, Sanja Gluscevic, Paschalis Karakasis, Jelena Kotur-Stevuljevic, Ana Ninic, published by CEON/CEES.