Association of serum YKL-40 level with tumor burden and metastatic stage of prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between serum level of YKL-40 and Gleason score, grade and stage of the disease, and for the first time, with tumor burden in patients with prostate cancer (PCa).


METHODS
Serum levels of YKL-40 and prostate-specific antigen were measured in 34 men (mean age: 66 years) with newly diagnosed and untreated PCa, in 34 men (mean age: 65 years) with biopsy proven benign prostatic hyperplasia, and in 29 healthy young men (mean age: 24 years).


RESULTS
Serum YKL-40 concentration in men with PCa and benign prostatic hyperplasia, and in controls were 165.67 ± 107.84 ng/mL, 137.38 ± 82.04 ng/mL, and 69.69 ± 18.46 ng/mL, respectively. Serum level of YKL-40 was correlated with tumor burden in 30.4% of the patients with PCa (P = .04). A cut-off serum YKL-40 value of 92.696 ng/mL produced 70.6% sensitivity and 93.1% specificity. Elevated serum level of YKL-40 was strongly associated only with metastatic stage of the PCa. No association was observed between elevated level of YKL-40 and Gleason score groups or Gleason grade.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that elevated serum level of YKL-40 may be a useful indicator of tumor burden and metastatic stage of PCa. Further studies are warranted to better elucidate the meaning of YKL-40 in tumor burden and invasiveness.
Department of Urology, Fırat University Hospital, Elazığ, Turkey. drenver@enverozdemir.com
Enver
E
Özdemir
Tarık
T
Çiçek
Mehmet Onur
MO
Kaya
D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values; D047368:Tumor Burden; D055815:Young Adult
D054392:Adipokines; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D037102:Lectins