OBJECTIVETo study the correlation between clinically detected serum galectin-3 levels and prognosis of liver failure.

METHODSFifty-five patients diagnosed with liver failure were administered a combined modality therapy and followed up until death or for 6 months. Fifty-five patients with liver failure were administered a combined modality therapy and followed up until death or for 6 months. In addition, 30 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 30 healthy volunteers were matched for use as controls. Serum galectin-3 levels were detected at baseline and last follow-up visit and compared between groups by statistical analysis.

RESULTSAt baseline, the CHB group had a significantly higher level of serum galectin-3 than the healthy control group (F=2.701, P less than 0.01). However, the galectin-3 level 5 of the liver failure group was significantly higher than that of both the CHB group (F=8.121, P less than 0.01) and the healthy control group (F=11.231, P less than 0.01). When patients within the liver failure group were divided by survival and death occurring during the 6-month follow-up period, the patients who died (n=28) were found to have a significantly higher level of serum galectin-3 than the surviving patients (n=27) (P less than 0.01). The area under the curve of ROC curve is 0.766, and cut off value is 0.246 5 ng/ml.

CONCLUSIONThe level of serum galectin-3 is positively correlated with risk of death in patients with liver failure. Up-regulation of galectin-3 may act as a protective factor in patients with severe liver injury.