The silent predictors: exploring galectin-3 and Irisin’s tale in severe COVID-19

Abstract

Abstract Objective This study aimed to evaluate the roles of galectin-3 and irisin as biomarkers in predicting severe outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Results We analyzed serum levels of galectin-3 and irisin in 59 patients with severe COVID-19 and 30 healthy controls. Elevated galectin-3 levels were associated with increased risks of mortality, need for intensive care, and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. The optimal cut-off value for galectin-3 was 13.47 ng/ml, with a sensitivity of 72.7% and specificity of 76.6%. Irisin levels did not differ significantly between survivors and non-survivors at admission or on the 3rd day post-admission, but approached significance on the 7th day. These findings suggest that galectin-3 could be a valuable prognostic biomarker for severe COVID-19 outcomes, while irisin’s role remains to be clarified in further studies.

Keywords

• COVID-19 prognosis
• Galectin-3
• Irisin
• SARS-CoV-2 infection
• Biomarker discovery