Echocardiographic parameters and Galectin-3 in patients with atrial fibrillation as a marker of left atrial fibrosis

Abstract

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of sustained arrhythmia in clinical practice. Many cardiovascular nursing studies incorporate markers into the design and conduct of the study. Biochemical markers and imaging tests have been used with the aim of stratifying the risk and detecting atrial fibrosis. Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) is used for the detection of atrial fibrosis and Gal-3 provides an important prognostic value. The objective of the study was to assess the association between atrial fibrosis markers and serum levels and genic expression of galectin-3. Methods Two hundred and six patients with permanent AF and 70 patients with paroxysmal AF were included in the study. Serum levels of Gal-3 were determined by ELISA and STE was performed to assess fibrosis. Results Mean age of individuals with permanent AF was 66.56±12 years. With regard to echocardiographic parameters, the alterations that occur mainly in the permanent AF group when compared to the paroxysmal AF group are noteworthy, namely LA diameter (46.49±7.68 vs. 41±5.85, p=0.007), LA volume (106.5±41.64 vs. 79; P25: 54.7, P75: 97, p=0.02), and LA volume indexed to body surface area (51.29; P25: 39.9, P75: 78.1 vs. 41.55; P25: 28; P75: 54.9, p=0.04), in addition to the peak atrial longitudinal strain values (PALS) (10; P25: 7.2, P75: 12.4 vs. 16.3; P25: 8.1, P75: 21.2, p=0.002). When we compared the Gal-3 mRNA expression with the types of AF, there was no association (p=0.95). Serum levels of Gal-3 were assessed and compared to the parameter LA strain (PALS). The Spearman and Pearson correlations were evaluated in both groups and the group with permanent AF was correlated with serum levels of Gal-3 (r=0.24; p=0.01). The lower is the Gal-3 serum levels, the lower is the LA strain. Other comparisons presented no statistically significant correlation. Conclusions The integration of markers in cardiovascular nursing studies unfolds as a complex journey from the initial study design to the reporting phase, researchers may be intricately involved in all of these steps. The present study assessed the association between echocardiographic parameters that are suggestive of atrial fibrosis and coding for galectin-3, as well as its genic expression and serum levels in patients with atrial fibrillation. In this way, the use biomarkers can be incorporated into care practice as a tool for assessment and care planning.