-Original-

Blood Galectin-3 Levels Predict Postoperative Complications after Colorectal Cancer Surgery

Akihisa Matsuda¹, Marina Yamada¹, Satoshi Matsumoto¹, Nobuyuki Sakurazawa¹, Youichi Kawano¹, Kumiko Sekiguchi¹, Takeshi Yamada², Takeshi Matsutani², Masao Miyashita¹ and Hiroshi Yoshida²

¹Department of Surgery, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, Chiba, Japan
²Department of Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan

Background: Recent studies suggested that galectin-3 may act as a pro-inflammatory damage-associated molecular pattern. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between blood galectin-3 and postoperative complications (POC) after colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery.
Methods: Blood samples were taken from 35 patients with CRC before surgery, immediately after surgery, and on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, 5, and 7. Blood galectin-3 and interleukin-6 levels were measured by commercially available ELISA. Patients were divided into those with (POC group) and without POC (no-POC group).
Results: Significantly higher galectin-3 levels were observed pre- and postoperatively in the POC group (n=10) compared with those of the no-POC group (n=25). Galectin-3 levels on POD1 showed the best predictive potential for POC (cut-off: 3.18 pg/mL, area under the curve: 0.868).
Conclusions: These results indicate that increased perioperative blood galectin-3 levels may be associated with POC after CRC surgery.

J Nippon Med Sch 2019; 86: 142-148

Keywords
colorectal cancer, galectin-3, postoperative complication, surgery

Correspondence to
Akihisa Matsuda, MD, Department of Surgery, Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, 1715 Kamagari, Inzai, Chiba 270-1694, Japan
a-matsu@nms.ac.jp

Received, July 8, 2018
Accepted, January 22, 2019