Galectin 3 and non-classical monocytes of blood as myocardial remodeling factors at ischemic cardiomyopathy

AIMS: To identify an imbalance of cardiac remodeling mediators and monocytes subpopulation in blood, distribution of myocardium macrophages in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICMP). METHODS: The study engaged 30 patients with ICMP, 26 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) without ICMP, 15 healthy donors. Concentrations of TGFβ, MMP-9, MCP-1, galectin-3 were measured in plasma of blood from the coronary sinus and peripheral blood in CHD patients, as well as in peripheral blood in healthy donors, by enzyme immunoassay method. The ration of classical, intermediate, non-classical, transitional monocytes in peripheral blood of patients and healthy donors was assessed by flow cytometry (expression CD14, CD16); the content of CD68+ macrophages in myocardium – by immunohistochemistry method. RESULTS: In both samples of blood, the content of galectin-3 in patients with ICMP was higher than in CHD patients without ICMP and the level of TGFβ was comparable between the groups. At ICMP, the concentration of MMP-9 in sinus blood was higher than that in CHD patients without ICMP in whom an excess of MCP-1 in the general blood flow was determined. The density of distribution of CD68+ cells in the myocardium in patients with ICMP was higher in the perianeurysmal zone than in the right atrium appendage. ICMP was characterized by a deficiency of non-classical monocytes, and CHD without ICMP – by an excess of intermediate cells in peripheral blood. CONCLUSION: Myocardium remodeling at ICMP is mediated by not so much TGFβ but intracardiac galectin-3, which determines the subpopulation composition of blood monocytes.