title: Circulating and Tissue Expression Levels of YKL-40 in Renal Cell Cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Blood levels of YKL-40 are elevated in various malignancies and other inflammatory diseases. Higher YKL-40 levels have consequently been shown to correlate with poor prognosis in several cancers. We investigated the prognostic value of circulating and tissue levels of YKL-40 in renal cell cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative YKL-40 serum/plasma levels were determined in 222 surgically treated patients with renal cell cancer and in 35 controls. Postoperative serum samples were analyzed in 19 of the 222 renal cell cancer cases. Gene expression levels were assessed in 101 renal cell cancer frozen tissue samples using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Finally immunohistochemical analysis was done in 37 renal cell cancer cases to assess tissue localization of YKL-40. Results were correlated with clinicopathological and followup data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  YKL-40 serum but not tissue gene expression levels were higher in patients with renal cell cancer compared to controls (p = 0.050). Serum YKL-40 levels significantly increased following nephrectomy (p <0.001). High circulating YKL-40 concentrations were independently associated with shorter survival in the serum and plasma cohorts. YKL-40 gene expression did not correlate with patient prognosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperatively elevated circulating levels of YKL-40 predict survival in patients treated with nephrectomy for renal cell cancer independently of levels determined in serum or plasma. Tumor cells do not seem to be the main source of increased serum/plasma YKL-40 levels in patients with renal cell cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg-Essen, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vom Dorp
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg-Essen, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tschirdewahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg-Essen, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Niedworok
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg-Essen, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Charité, Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin and Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Charité, Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin and Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kempkensteffen
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Charité, Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin and Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Gero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Shahrokh F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Shariat
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nyirady
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg-Essen, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rübben
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg-Essen, Berlin, Germany; Department of Urology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: sztibusz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Szarvas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1
keywords: CHI3L1 protein, human; carcinoma, renal cell; kidney; nephrectomy; prognosis