Objective To investigate the effect of galectin-3 (Gal-3) on the pathogenesis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).Methods The clinic data of 72 PBC patients at different stages were analyzed and the serum levels of Gal-3 were detected in 72 PBC patients and 20 controls by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Independent t-test,variance analysis,LSD-t and Pearson correlation analysis were adopted for data analysis.Results The serum Gal-3 levels were significantly higher in PBC patients than those of healthy controls [(855±634) pg/ml,(463±446) pg/ml,P＜0.05].With the progression of disease,the levels of Gal-3,platelets,hemoglobin,albumin,IgM and complement C3 gradually declined,but the level of total bilirubin gradually elevated(P＜0.05).There was positive correlation between Gal-3 and immunoglobin IgM,complement C3 levels (r=0.330,P=0.005; r=0.357,P=0.002).There was negative correlation between Gal-3 and total bilirubin levels (r=0.350,P=0.003).Conclusion The Gal-3 can participate in the immune-mediated inflammation of PBC and the formation of liver fibrosis.The levels of Gal-3,platelet count,hemoglobin,albumin,IgM,complement C3 and total bilirubin could be regarded as laboratory parameters for the evaluation of the disease severity and prognosis.