Serum YKL-40 and colorectal cancer.
YKL-40 is a mammalian member of the chitinase protein family. Although the function of YKL-40 is unknown, the pattern of its expression suggests a function in remodelling or degradation of extracellular matrix. High serum YKL-40 has been found in patients with recurrent breast cancer and has been related to short survival. In the present study we analysed YKL-40 in preoperative sera from patients with colorectal cancer and evaluated its relation to survival. Serum YKL-40 was determined by RIA in 603 patients. Survival after operation was registered, and median follow-up time was 61 months. Three hundred and forty patients died. Sixteen per cent of the patients with Dukes' A, 26% with Dukes' B, 19% with Dukes' C and 39% with Dukes' D had high serum YKL-40 levels (adjusted for age). Analysis of serum YKL-40 as a continuous variable showed an association between increased serum YKL-40 and short survival (P < 0.0001). Patients with high preoperative serum YKL-40 concentration had significantly shorter survival than patients with normal YKL-40 (HR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.3-2.1, P < 0.0001). Multivariate Cox analysis including serum YKL-40, serum CEA, Dukes' stage, age and gender showed that high YKL-40 was an independent prognostic variable for short survival (HR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.1-1.8, P = 0.007). These results suggest that YKL-40 may play an important role in tumour invasion.
Cintin
C
C
Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Johansen
J S
JS
Christensen
I J
IJ
Price
P A
PA
Sørensen
S
S
Nielsen
H J
HJ
D054392:Adipokines; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis
D054392:Adipokines; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D006023:Glycoproteins; D037102:Lectins