title: Elevated serum YKL-40 levels in patients with Kawasaki disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  YKL-40 is an inflammatory biomarker for endothelial dysfunction that may have a role in Kawasaki disease (KD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the association of serum YKL-40 levels with KD and established laboratory parameters for YKL-40 levels and other inflammatory markers.
  
  
  METHODS
  YKL-40 levels and other inflammatory markers of 23 KD patients, 9 disease control patients and 11 age-matched healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  YKL-40 concentration in the serum of KD patients significantly increased during the acute disease phase compared with those of disease controls and healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased YKL-40 levels may provide a useful inflammatory marker for patients with KD.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Children's Hospital , Seoul , South Korea.
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: b Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Research Institute , Yonsei University College of Medicine , Seoul , South Korea.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: b Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Research Institute , Yonsei University College of Medicine , Seoul , South Korea.
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Children's Hospital , Seoul , South Korea.
authors.forename: Ho-Seong
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Children's Hospital , Seoul , South Korea.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1
keywords: Kawasaki disease; YKL-40; acute phase reactant