Assessment of novel cardiovascular biomarkers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a common comorbidity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pre-COPD patients, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. We aimed to investigate whether Galectin-3 (Gal-3) levels correlate with cardiovascular biomarkers and cardiopulmonary function in COPD and pre-COPD patients to assess its potential role as a marker for cardiovascular comorbidity.

Methods: Community-dwelling adults with and without COPD were recruited. Biomarkers including Gal-3, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were measured. Subjects underwent pulmonary function tests, chest CT, echocardiograms, and a 6-minute walking test. The relationships between biomarkers and cardiopulmonary function were examined.

Results: Among 120 subjects (97 COPD, 23 pre-COPD), the mean age was 70.2 years, and the mean predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1%) was 68.5%. Gal-3 levels averaged 1733.7 pg/mL. Gal-3 significantly correlated with NT-proBNP (ρ = 0.229, p = 0.012) and negatively with maximal pulse rate during the 6-minute walking test (ρ=-0.185, p = 0.043). No significant correlation was found between Gal-3 and hs-cTnT levels. However, hs-cTnT levels showed significant negative correlations with age (ρ=-0.526, p < 0.001), FEV1% (ρ=-0.373, p < 0.001), E/A ratio (ρ=-0.390, p < 0.001), and walking distance (ρ=-0.444, p < 0.001), and positive correlations with deceleration time (ρ = 0.299, p = 0.001), right ventricular systolic pressure (ρ = 0.197, p = 0.037), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (ρ = 0.212, p = 0.020).

Conclusions: Gal-3 levels show correlations with NT-proBNP and maximal pulse rate, supporting its investigation as a potential marker for cardiovascular comorbidity in COPD and pre-COPD populations.