title: Determination of serum levels of YKL-40 and hyaluronic acid in patients with hepatic fibrosis due to schistosomiasis japonica and appraisal of their clinical value.
abstract: The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the serum levels of human cartilage glycoprotein 39 (YKL-40) and hyaluronic acid (HA) in people infected with Schistosoma japonicum, and (ii) to determine their clinical value. A total of 563 people were subjected to ultrasonography, and 60 patients were identified with either mild (n=30) or severe (n=30) hepatic fibrosis. In addition, 28 healthy subjects were included as controls. Blood sera of these 88 people were examined with regard to the levels of YKL-40 and HA. The former was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and serum HA was determined by a commercially available radioimmunoassay method. On the basis of the ultrasonographic investigations, HA levels in normal, mild, and severe cases of hepatic fibrosis were 83.0+/-35.7, 216.1+/-77.9 and 212.6+/-80.9 microg/ml, respectively. When the same sera were tested for YKL-40, 49.0+/-10.4, 92.3+/-18.5 and 172.1+/-35.9 microg/ml, respectively, were recorded in the three groups. Thus, the serum levels of YKL-40 are not only increased in patients infected with S. japonicum but they are also correlated with the stage of hepatic fibrosis. In conclusion, it appears that YKL-40 is more sensitive than HA in measuring the degree of hepatic fibrosis due to schistosomiasis, which warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China. minzheng@zju.edu.cn
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wei-Min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Jun-Kang
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shao-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Rong-Hua
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D037102:Lectins; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D006023:Glycoproteins; D037102:Lectins; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid