Test Id : GAL3
Galectin-3, Serum
Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful
Aiding in the prognosis for patients diagnosed with heart failure
Risk stratification of patients with heart failure
An early indication of treatment failure and as a therapeutic target
Method Name
A short description of the method used to perform the test
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
NY State Available
Indicates the status of NY State approval and if the test is orderable for NY State clients.
Reporting Name
Lists a shorter or abbreviated version of the Published Name for a test
Aliases
Lists additional common names for a test, as an aid in searching
Cardiac Remodeling
Cardiac Fibrosis
Galectin
Heart Failure
Lectin
GAL3
Specimen Type
Describes the specimen type validated for testing
Serum Red
Specimen Required
Defines the optimal specimen required to perform the test and the preferred volume to complete testing
Supplies: Sarstedt Aliquot Tube, 5 mL (T914)
Collection Container/Tube: Red top (serum gel/SST are not acceptable)
Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial
Specimen Volume: 1 mL
Collection Instructions: Centrifuge and aliquot serum into plastic vial.
Forms
If not ordering electronically, complete, print, and send a Cardiovascular Test Request Form (T724) with the specimen.
Specimen Minimum Volume
Defines the amount of sample necessary to provide a clinically relevant result as determined by the testing laboratory. The minimum volume is sufficient for one attempt at testing.
0.2 mL
Reject Due To
Identifies specimen types and conditions that may cause the specimen to be rejected
| Gross hemolysis | Reject |
| Gross lipemia | Reject |
Specimen Stability Information
Provides a description of the temperatures required to transport a specimen to the performing laboratory, alternate acceptable temperatures are also included
| Specimen Type | Temperature | Time | Special Container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serum Red | Frozen (preferred) | 365 days | |
| Refrigerated | 24 hours |
Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful
Aiding in the prognosis for patients diagnosed with heart failure
Risk stratification of patients with heart failure
An early indication of treatment failure and as a therapeutic target
Clinical Information
Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test
Heart failure is a complex cardiovascular disorder with a variety of etiologies and heterogeneity with respect to the clinical presentation of the patient. Heart failure is significantly increasing in prevalence with an aging population and is associated with high short- and long-term mortality rate. Over 80% of patients diagnosed and treated for acute heart failure syndromes in the emergency department are re-admitted within the forthcoming year, incurring costly treatments and therapies.
The development and progression of heart failure is a clinically silent process until manifestation of the disorder, which typically occurs late and irreversibly into its progression. Mechanistically, heart failure, whether due to systolic or diastolic dysfunction, is thought to progress primarily through adverse cardiac remodeling and fibrosis in response to cardiac injury or stress. Galectin-3 is a biomarker that appears to be actively involved in both the inflammatory and some fibrotic pathways.
Galectin-3 is a carbohydrate-binding lectin whose expression is associated with inflammatory cells, including macrophages, neutrophils, and mast cells. Galectin-3 has been linked to cardiovascular physiological processes including myofibroblast proliferation, tissue repair, and cardiac remodeling in the setting of heart failure. Concentrations of galectin-3 have been used to predict adverse remodeling after a variety of cardiac insults.
Reference Values
Describes reference intervals and additional information for interpretation of test results. May include intervals based on age and sex when appropriate. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this.
<24 months: Not established
2-17 years: < or =25.0 ng/mL
> or =18 years: < or =22.1 ng/mL
Interpretation
Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results
Clinically, galectin-3 concentrations may be categorized into 3 risk categories, substantiated by results from several large chronic heart failure studies:
< or =17.8 ng/mL (low risk)
17.9-25.9 ng/mL (intermediate risk)
>25.9 ng/mL (higher risk)
Results should be interpreted in the context of the individual patient presentation. Elevated galectin-3 results indicate an increased risk for adverse outcomes and signal the presence of galectin-3-mediated fibrosis and adverse remodeling. Once galectin-3 concentrations are elevated they are relatively stable over time in the absence of intervention.
Knowledge of a patient with heart failure's galectin-3 results may assist in risk stratification and lead to more aggressive management. There are no specific galectin-3 inhibitors available at this time, and patients with heart failure and elevated galectin-3 concentrations should be treated and monitored according to established guidelines. Angiotensin receptor blockers and aldosterone antagonists are thought to be particularly effective.
A large multicenter, prospective, observational study was conducted to derive the reference intervals for galectin-3 that included 1092 subjects between the ages of 55 and 80 years without any known cardiac disease (520 males, 572 females). The 97.5th percentile of galectin-3 in that cohort was 22.1 ng/mL. Individuals with concentrations greater than 22.1 ng/mL had a significant association with mortality and New York Heart Association classification. However, this was an older population and definitive evidence of cardiac disease was not documented.
Cautions
Discusses conditions that may cause diagnostic confusion, including improper specimen collection and handling, inappropriate test selection, and interfering substances
Galectin-3 has not been shown to be useful in the acute diagnosis of heart failure, and natriuretic peptides (BNP or NT-proBNP) should be utilized for this purpose.
Hemolysis has been shown to interfere with the galectin-3 assay due to intracellular release of galectin-3. Specimens that are visibly hemolyzed will be rejected.
Heterophile antibodies, in particular human-antimouse antibodies in human serum, may cause falsely elevated galectin-3 results. Heterophile antibodies may react with reagent immunoglobulins and subsequently interfere with in vitro immunoassays. Patients routinely exposed to animals or to animal serum products can be prone to this interference and anomalous high or low values can be observed.
Patients with high concentrations of rheumatoid factor, as well as other autoimmune disorders, may also yield falsely elevated results and should be interpreted with caution.
Clinical Reference
Recommendations for in-depth reading of a clinical nature
1. Van der Velde AR, Meijers WC, Van den Heuvel ER, et al. Determinants of temporal changes in galectin-3 level in the general population: Data of PREVEND. Int J Cardiol. 2016;222:385-390. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2016.07.241
2. Mueller T, Gegenhuber A, Leitner I, et al. Diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of galectin-3 and soluble ST2 for acute heart failure. Clin Chim Acta. 2016;463:158-164. doi:10.1016/j.cca.2016.10.034
3. Sudharshan S, Novak E, Hock K, et al. Use of biomarkers to predict readmission for congestive heart failure. Am J Cardiol. 2017;119:445-451. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2016.10.022
4. Meijers WC, van der Velde AR, Muller Kobold AC, et al. Variability of biomarkers in patients with chronic heart failure and healthy controls. Eur J Heart Fail. 2017;19:357-365. doi:10.1002/ejhf.669
5. Meeusen JW, Johnson JN, Gray A, et al. Soluble ST2 and galectin-3 in pediatric patients without heart failure. Clin Biochem. 2015;48(18):1337-1340. doi:10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2015.08.007
Method Description
Describes how the test is performed and provides a method-specific reference
The galectin-3 assay is a diagnostic, quantitative 2-site manual enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) validated for use in human sera. The capture monoclonal antibody (rat IgG2a) is immobilized on 96-well plates, while the detection antibody utilizes a mouse monoclonal antibody that targets the human galectin-3 protein and is conjugated with horseradish peroxidase. This is an FDA 510K-cleared in vitro diagnostic device.(Package insert: BGM Galectin-3 Assay, BG Medicine, Inc. 05/2015)
PDF Report
Indicates whether the report includes an additional document with charts, images or other enriched information
Day(s) Performed
Outlines the days the test is performed. This field reflects the day that the sample must be in the testing laboratory to begin the testing process and includes any specimen preparation and processing time before the test is performed. Some tests are listed as continuously performed, which means that assays are performed multiple times during the day.
Monday
Report Available
The interval of time (receipt of sample at Mayo Clinic Laboratories to results available) taking into account standard setup days and weekends. The first day is the time that it typically takes for a result to be available. The last day is the time it might take, accounting for any necessary repeated testing.
Specimen Retention Time
Outlines the length of time after testing that a specimen is kept in the laboratory before it is discarded
Performing Laboratory Location
Indicates the location of the laboratory that performs the test
Fees :
Several factors determine the fee charged to perform a test. Contact your U.S. or International Regional Manager for information about establishing a fee schedule or to learn more about resources to optimize test selection.
- Authorized users can sign in to Test Prices for detailed fee information.
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- Prospective clients should contact their account representative. For assistance, contact Customer Service.
Test Classification
Provides information regarding the medical device classification for laboratory test kits and reagents. Tests may be classified as cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and used per manufacturer instructions, or as products that do not undergo full FDA review and approval, and are then labeled as an Analyte Specific Reagent (ASR) product.
This test has been cleared, approved, or is exempt by the US Food and Drug Administration and is used per manufacturer's instructions. Performance characteristics were verified by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements.
CPT Code Information
Provides guidance in determining the appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code(s) information for each test or profile. The listed CPT codes reflect Mayo Clinic Laboratories interpretation of CPT coding requirements. It is the responsibility of each laboratory to determine correct CPT codes to use for billing.
CPT codes are provided by the performing laboratory.
CPT codes are provided by the performing laboratory.
82777
LOINC® Information
Provides guidance in determining the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) values for the order and results codes of this test. LOINC values are provided by the performing laboratory.
| Test Id | Test Order Name | Order LOINC Value |
|---|---|---|
| GAL3 | Galectin-3, S | 62419-7 |
| Result Id | Test Result Name |
Result LOINC Value
Applies only to results expressed in units of measure originally reported by the performing laboratory. These values do not apply to results that are converted to other units of measure.
|
|---|---|---|
| 86202 | Galectin-3, S | 62419-7 |