Comparative analysis of serum galanin levels in patients with coronary artery disease with and without heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and in individuals without cardiovascular diseases

Aim . To study the level of the neuro-regulatory peptide galanin in pa­tients with coronary artery disease (CAD) with and without heart failu­re with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in comparison with individuals without cardiovascular disease (CVD) included in the control group. Material and methods . The study included 80 male patients as fol­lows: 30 patients with CAD and HFrEF; 30 patients with CAD and without HFrEF; 20 individuals without CVD (control group). The groups were comparable in age and body mass index (BMI). Results . The median (Me) age of patients with CAD and HFrEF was 67,5 years, while in individuals without CVD — 56,5 years. In the CAD and HFrEF group, 73,4% of patients had New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II HF. The galanin level was significantly (p<0,001) higher in patients with CAD with HFrEF (Me [Q25-Q75] — 84,5 [62,2-96,2] pg/ml) and CHD without CHFrEF (82,9 [68,2-94,0] pg/ml compared to the control group (53,0 [24,4-62,9] pg/ml). According to the ROC analysis, the highest area under the curve (AUC=0,924) for galanin was in the CAD without HFrEF group relative to the control. At the estimated threshold level of 71,5 pg/ml, the sensitivity and specificity were 70,0% and 95,0%, respectively. Conclusion . The obtained results suggest an association between ga­la­nin and the pathophysiological mechanisms of CAD development, re­gardless of HFrEF.