title: Diagnostic potential of YKL-40 in bladder cancer.
abstract: YKL-40 is a glycoprotein, which is thought to play a role in inflammatory conditions and tissue remodeling. Although it has been investigated in numerous cancers, there is very limited knowledge about the role of YKL-40 in bladder cancer. In this study, our aim was to determine the levels of YKL-40 in the sera and urines of the patients with bladder cancer, and compare it to urinary bladder tumor antigen (BTA), a tumor marker that can be used in the diagnosis of bladder cancer.
  
  
  
  The study was comprised of 2 major groups as 65 healthy controls and 67 patients with bladder cancer. The patient group was also divided into subgroups according to tumor stage and grade. Serum and urine YKL-40 levels and urine BTA levels in controls and patients were determined using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.
  
  
  
  Serum YKL-40 and urinary BTA levels were significantly elevated in patients and all patient subgroups compared to healthy controls. Urine YKL-40 levels, on the other hand, were significantly elevated in all subgroups except low stage (Ta) and low grade, compared to controls. Although serum YKL-40 levels could not differentiate any subgroup from one another, urinary BTA could only differentiate low stage (Ta) from all invasive (T1-T4) cancers. However, urine YKL-40 levels were significantly elevated in all invasive subgroups (T1, T2-T4, and T1-T4), compared to low stage (Ta).
  
  
  
  In summary, urine YKL-40 levels can be used to assist BTA in the diagnosis of bladder cancer as a marker for early invasiveness and thus help determine its treatment regimen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yasar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: tulakcay@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Tulay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akcay
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Obek
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fethi A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Turegun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000652:urine; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; C112999:bladder tumor-associated antigen
keywords: Bladder cancer; Bladder tumor antigen; YKL-40