Master’s Study at the College of Medicine – Al-Nahrain University Investigates the Role of Biomarkers in Coronary Artery Ectasia

A Master’s thesis by Noor Ibrahim Jalil, at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University, was discussed under the title:

“Serum Galectin-3, Matrix Metalloproteinase-2, and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 as Biomarkers Associated with Coronary Artery Ectasia”

The study aimed to investigate the roles of Galectin-3, MMP-2, and TIMP-1, in addition to lipid profile parameters and hematological indices, in coronary artery ectasia (CAE), and to evaluate their potential diagnostic value in differentiating patients with coronary artery ectasia (CAE), coronary artery stenosis (CAS), and healthy individuals.

The results demonstrated significantly elevated levels of Galectin-3, MMP-2, and TIMP-1 among patients with coronary artery ectasia compared with both the coronary artery stenosis and healthy control groups, with statistically significant differences observed among the study groups.

The study also revealed notable differences in lipid profile parameters and hematological indices, including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and red cell distribution width (RDW), supporting the association of inflammation and extracellular matrix remodeling with vascular alterations accompanying coronary artery ectasia.

Furthermore, ROC curve analysis demonstrated high diagnostic performance for certain biomarkers, particularly Galectin-3, MMP-2, and TIMP-1, in differentiating patients with coronary artery ectasia from healthy individuals. These findings suggest that these biomarkers may have potential as adjunctive biomarkers for the detection of coronary artery ectasia and for differentiating among various vascular conditions.

The study concluded that coronary artery ectasia is a vascular condition associated with inflammatory processes and extracellular matrix remodeling, and that Galectin-3, MMP-2, and TIMP-1 may represent promising biomarkers for the diagnosis and differentiation of CAE.

The discussion committee consisted of:

• Prof. Dr. Istabraq Abdul-Razzaq Kweiri – Chair

• Asst. Prof. Dr. Hussein Ghani Qadouri – Member

• Asst. Prof. Dr. Saba Zuhair Hussein – Member

• Prof. Dr. Raed Jasim Mohammed – Member and Supervisor

• Lecturer Dr. Aws Sabah Ghani – Member and Supervisor

The thesis was successfully approved with an “Excellent” grade.

Media and Government Communication Division
College of Medicine – Al-Nahrain University