LAUSR

Oyenuga et al reported that higher levels of galectin-3 were associated with greater carotid intima–media thickness. They concluded that these findings support the role of inflammatory biomarkers in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and suggest that galectin-3 could be a possible target for the prevention or management of atherosclerotic disease. We evaluated galectin-1 and galectin-3 levels in term pregnancies with normal, intrauterine growth restricted, and largefor-gestational-age neonates and their mothers. Galectin-3 levels were increased when mothers presented with gestational diabetes. Elevated galectin-3 levels in these women have implications in placental angiogenesis since galectin-3 is a potent angiogenic factor involved in embryogenesis. The increased placental angiogenesis may explain why women with gestational diabetes deliver large-for-gestational-age neonates. Besides serving as a potential marker for atherosclerotic disease, galectin-3 levels are elevated in metastatic cancer. A crucial step in tumor invasion and metastasis is neoangiogenesis. Galectin-3 promotes new capillary formation and enhances neoangiogenesis in cancer. Galectin-3 may therefore be an early marker of tumor progression. There is evidence suggesting that statins reduce oxidative stress, acute lung inflammation, and galectin-3 levels in mice with lung sepsis. Besides lipid-lowering, statins exert beneficial effects in several diseases, including asthma, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune, and cardiovascular diseases. Galectin-3 levels may therefore be used to measure the response to statin treatment in these diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that galectin-3 is a useful biomarker with prognostic value not only in atherosclerosis but also in gestational diabetes and cancer. Galectin-3 levels could be used in the future to monitor the progression and management of these diseases.