Maternal serum galectin-1 and galectin-3 levels in pregnancies complicated with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes

Abstract

Objective: To investigate maternal serum galectin-1 and galectin-3 levels in pregnancies complicated with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) and to compare with pregnancies delivered at term.

Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 40 women with singleton pregnancies complicated with PPROM between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation were compared with gestational age-matched 40 pregnant women with no obstetrics complications, who delivered at term. The maternal serum galectin-1 and galectin-3 levels were measured.

Results: Patients complicated with PPROM had significantly higher levels of galectin-1 (p = .001) and galectin-3 (p = .003) than the control group. Maternal serum galectin-3 levels were found significantly negatively correlated with the gestational age at delivery and birth weight.

Conclusion: Maternal serum galectin-1 and galectin-3 levels were significantly higher in pregnancies complicated with PPROM. Galectin-1 and galectin-3, with their regulatory effects in key biological processes, may be both an initiating factor in the pathophysiology of PPROM, a marker in the prediction, and a target of preventing strategies of PPROM.

Keywords:

• Galectin-1
• galectin-3
• lectins
• preterm birth
• preterm prelabor rupture of membranes

Acknowledgements

The authors thank MD Gökhan Yıldırım for his help with the manuscript and his valuable advice in the statistical analysis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.