title: Serum YKL-40 is increased in patients with slow coronary flow.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is accumulating evidence that inflammation plays a major role in the development of the slow coronary flow (SCF) phenomenon. YKL-40 has been suggested to be a potential biomarker of inflammation. In this study, we aimed to study YKL-40 as it relates to SCF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who underwent coronary angiography before and had angiographically normal coronary arteries of varying coronary flow rates without any atherosclerotic lesion were enrolled in this study. Patients who had thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame counts (TFC) above the normal cutoffs were considered to have SCF and those within normal limits were considered to have normal coronary flow (NCF). The YKL-40 levels and biochemical profiles of all patients were studied and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 41 patients in the SCF group and 209 patients in the NCF group. Compared with the NCF patients, SCF patients had higher serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (P=0.0003) and YKL-40 (P=0.0007) levels. A positive correlation was detected between the YKL-40 levels and hs-CRP (r=0.7021, P<0.001), and the mean TFC (r=0.4038, P=0.0088) in SCF patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that YKL-40 levels are higher and correlated positively with TFC and hs-CRP in SCF patients. This finding suggests that YKL-40 may be a useful marker and predictor for SCF.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Cardiology, Haimen People's Hospital, Haimen bDepartment of Cardiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University cDepartment of Cardiology, Haian People's Hospital and Affiliated Haian Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hai-Liang
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Ya-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Chu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yin-Hao
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiao-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Meng-Kan
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yong-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Min-Hui
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood*; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054318:No-Reflow Phenomenon / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D015415:Biomarkers; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D006133:Growth Substances; D037102:Lectins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein