title: The association between serum YKL-40 levels, mean platelet volume, and c-reactive protein in patients with cellulitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lower limb cellulitis is an infectious disease that has serious complications unless it is treated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this pilot study, we evaluated whether levels of YKL-40, an acute-phase reactant, and mean platelet volume (MPV), which occurs secondary to inflammation in cellulitis, increase compared to healthy subjects. We also aimed to investigate the association between YKL-40 and MPV in the prognosis of the patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 55 patients with cellulitis (23 men and 32 women) and a similar age group of 46 healthy individuals (22 men and 24 women) were included in the study. Cellulitis was diagnosed according to guideline. Serum YKL-40 levels, MPV, C-reactive protein (CRP), and other biochemical values of both groups were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  YKL-40 levels (52.2±34.5 ng/mL vs 34.6±18.0 ng/mL, P=0.004), MPV (7.7±1.0 fL vs 6.9±0.7 fL, P<0.001), and CRP (9.5±8.2 mg/dL vs 0.7±0.6 mg/dL, P<0.001) were significantly higher in the patients with cellulitis than the control. The mean recovery time (RT) of the patients was 22.6±6.9 days. We found that YKL-40 (odds ratio [OR] 0.1, confidence interval [Cl] 0.028-0.191, P=0.009) and MPV (OR 2.4, Cl 0.254-4.578, P=0.029) have an independent association with RT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  YKL-40 and MPV values were correlated with higher CRP in the cellulitis group than in controls. According to these results, increased YKL-40 and MPV levels might be a prognostic factor for cellulitis in patients.
authors: Department of Infectious Disease, University of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Rize, Turkey.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Erturk
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Cure
authors: M C
authors: MC
authors: Cure
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Parlak
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Kurt
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Ogullar
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood*; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D063847:Mean Platelet Volume; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D037102:Lectins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein