A Comparative Study of Serum Galectin-3 Levels Between Placenta Accreta Spectrum and Normal Pregnancies

Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) represents a significant cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, causing complications that surpass those posed by most routine obstetric issues. As such, early detection and proper management of PAS can significantly improve pregnancy outcomes. This study provides an in-depth examination of the serum levels of Galectin-3, a β-galactoside-binding protein, in women experiencing Placenta Accreta Spectrum compared to those with normal pregnancies.

Galectin-3 has been implicated in various physiological processes such as cell-cell interaction, cell-matrix adhesion, and immune responses. Moreover, recent evidence suggests an increased level of Galectin-3 is also associated with inflammation, fibrosis, and adverse outcomes in several pathological conditions like cardiovascular diseases and cancer. These multiple roles of Galectin-3 underline its potential implications and predictive ability in many pathological conditions including PAS disease progression during pregnancy.

In obstetric context, research on the role and level of Galectin-3 is sparse. This study aims at filling this gap by comparing the serum Galectin-3 levels in PAS and normal pregnancies. It seeks to investigate whether there is a significant difference between the two cohorts, which could highlight the potential use of Galectin-3 as a possible biological marker in predicting or diagnosing placenta accreta spectrum.