Response to Letter to the Editor for the Article Entitled "Short and Long-Term Prognostic Significance of Galectin-3 in Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention"

This study evaluated the short and long-term prognostic value of galectin-3 in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients (n = 143) were admitted with STEMI and followed up for 2 years. The study population was divided into high and low galectin-3 groups based on the admission median value of serum galectin-3. Primary clinical outcomes consisted of cardiovascular (CV) mortality, non-fatal reinfarction, stroke, and target vessel revascularization (TVR). CV events were recorded in hospital and at 1 and 2 years. The primary clinical outcomes (in-hospital, 1 year and 2 year) were significantly higher in the high galectin-3 group. ( = .008, = .004, = .002, respectively). High galectin-3 levels were also associated with heart failure development and re-hospitalization at both 1 year ( = .029, = .009, respectively) and 2 years ( = .019, = .036, respectively). According to Cox multivariate analysis, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was an independent predictor of 2-year cardiovascular mortality ( = .009), whereas galectin-3 was not ( = .291). Although high galectin-3 levels were not independent predictors of long-term CV mortality in patients with acute STEMI who underwent primary PCI, it was associated with short-term and long-term development of adverse CV events, heart failure, and re-hospitalization.