title: Serum YKL-40 levels in patients with ovarian cancer and women with BRCA1 gene mutation--comparison to CA 125 antigen.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our work was undertaken to determine the usefulness ofYKL-40 as a tumor marker in patients with ovarian cancer and women with BRCA 1 gene mutations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study population consisted of 111 patients. They were divided into five study groups: I--newly diagnosed ovarian caner, II--recurrence of ovarian cancer, III--complete remission, IV--benign epithelial tumors and V--patients with BRCA 1 gene mutations. YKL-40 and CA 125 were determined in patient sera.
  
  
  RESULTS
  YKL-40 in newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients was significantly higher (181.17 n/ml) than in patients with BRCA 1 gene mutation (97.74 ng/ml, p < 0.01), women with benign epithelial cancer (57.19 ng/ml, p < 0.005) and patients with ovarian cancer at the time of complete remission (58.12 ng/ml, p < 0.005). Taking 124 ng/ml as a cut-off value for YKL-40 (95th percentile for healthly women) we observed higher levels in 50% of patients from group I and in 38% from group II.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  YKL-40 appears to demonstrate no advantage over CA 125 as a biomarker of ovarian cancer, particularly in women with early-stage tumors. More research is needed on carriers of the BRCA 1 gene muation in view of the elevated YKL-40 concentrations in this group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Surgery and Gynecological Oncology of Adults and Adolescents Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chudecka-Głaz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Górski
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zielińska
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Błogowski
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wojciechowska
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bedner
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rzepka-Górska
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D005260:Female; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood*; D009154:Mutation; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D006023:Glycoproteins; D037102:Lectins