Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an irregular atrial activity and the most prevalent type of arrhythmia. Although AF is easily diagnosed with an electrocardiogram, there is a keen interest in identifying an easy-to-dose biomarker that can predict the prognosis of AF and its recurrence. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a beta-galactoside binding protein from the lectin family with pro-fibrotic and -inflammatory effects and a pivotal role in a variety of biological processes, cell proliferation, and differentiation; therefore, it is implicated in the pathogenesis of many cardiovascular (e.g., heart failure (HF)) and noncardiovascular diseases. However, its specificity and sensitivity as a potential marker in AF patients remain debated and controversial. This article comprehensively reviewed the evidence regarding the interplay between Gal-3 and patients with AF. Clinical implications of measuring Gal-3 in AF patients for diagnosis and prognosis are mentioned. Moreover, the role of Gal-3 as a potential biomarker for the management of AF recurrence is investigated. The association of Gal-3 and AF in special populations (coronary artery disease, HF, metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus) has been explored in this review. Overall, although further studies are needed to enlighten the role of Gal-3 in the diagnosis and treatment of AF, our study demonstrated the high potential of this molecule to be used and focused on by researchers and clinicians.

中文翻译：

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深入探讨 Galectin-3 作为心房颤动诊断和预后生物标志物的作用

心房颤动 (AF) 是一种不规则的心房活动，也是最常见的心律失常类型。尽管通过心电图很容易诊断房颤，但人们对确定一种易于给药的生物标志物非常感兴趣，该生物标志物可以预测房颤的预后及其复发。Galectin-3 (Gal-3) 是一种来自凝集素家族的 β-半乳糖苷结合蛋白，具有促纤维化和炎症作用，在多种生物过程、细胞增殖和分化中发挥着关键作用；因此，它与许多心血管疾病（例如心力衰竭（HF））和非心血管疾病的发病机制有关。然而，其作为 AF 患者潜在标志物的特异性和敏感性仍然存在争议。本文全面回顾了有关 Gal-3 与 AF 患者之间相互作用的证据。提到了测量 AF 患者 Gal-3 对诊断和预后的临床意义。此外，还研究了 Gal-3 作为治疗 AF 复发的潜在生物标志物的作用。本综述探讨了特殊人群（冠状动脉疾病、心力衰竭、代谢综合征、慢性肾病和糖尿病）中 Gal-3 和 AF 的关联。总体而言，尽管需要进一步的研究来阐明 Gal-3 在 AF 诊断和治疗中的作用，但我们的研究证明了该分子具有被研究人员和临床医生使用和关注的巨大潜力。