title: Circulating YKL-40 in myelofibrosis a potential novel biomarker of disease activity and the inflammatory state.
abstract: Chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), encompassing essential thrombocythaemia (ET), polycythaemia vera (PV) and myelofibrosis (PMF), are featured by a chronic inflammatory state which is pronounced in myelofibrosis The value of YKL-40 as a biomarker of disease burden has been demonstrated in several different diseases, including cancer, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. A state of chronic inflammation is shared by them all, YKL-40 also being involved in the severity of chronic endothelial inflammation, which today is considered of crucial importance for the development of atherosclerosis. The MPNs being cancers with a heavy burden of cardiovascular diseases we hypothesised that circulating YKL-40 might reflect the inflammatory process and potentially serve as a novel disease marker. Using ELISA, we measured YKL-40 in 15 patients with ET, 16 patients with PV, 17 patients with PMF and 30 healthy controls. YKL-40 was significantly elevated in PMF vs. control subjects, PMF levels median 43 ng/mL vs. controls median 28 ng/mL, P = 0.033. An increase from ET over PV may reflect the integrated impact of disease processes in MPNs.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Inflammation Research, Department of Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
authors.forename: Mads Emil
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bjørn
authors.forename: Christen Lykkegaard
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Morten Krogh
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Hans C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hasselbalch
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011087:Polycythemia Vera / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D055728:Primary Myelofibrosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013920:Thrombocythemia, Essential / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D015415:Biomarkers; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D037102:Lectins
keywords: JAK2V617F; YKL-40; biomarker; chronic inflammation; cytokines; myeloproliferative neoplasia (MPN)