Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26620310›Full record

ArticleBMC pulmonary medicine2015

Expression of YKL-40 and MIP-1a proteins in exudates and transudates: biomarkers for differential diagnosis of pleural effusions? A pilot study.

Tonia Adamidi, Nikolaos Soulitzis, Eirini Neofytou, Savvas Zannetos, Andreas Georgiou, Kleomenis Benidis, Alexis Papadopoulos, Nikolaos M Siafakas, Sophia E Schiza

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pulmonary medicine, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Landscape of T Cells in Tuberculous Pleural Effusion.The clinical respiratory journal · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Tonia AdamidiDepartment of Thoracic Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Nikolaos SoulitzisLaboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pneumology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. ngsoul@gmail.com.
Eirini NeofytouLaboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pneumology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Savvas ZannetosDepartment of HealthCare Management, Open University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Andreas GeorgiouDepartment of Thoracic Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Kleomenis BenidisDepartment of Thoracic Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Alexis PapadopoulosDepartment of Thoracic Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Nikolaos M SiafakasLaboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pneumology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Sophia E SchizaLaboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pneumology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Nicosia General Hospital · CYUniversity of Crete · GROpen University of Cyprus · CYUniversity Hospital of Heraklion · GR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundYKL-40 is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein with a significant role in tissue inflammation and remodeling. MIP-1a has chemotactic and pro-inflammatory properties, and is induced by YKL-40 in several lung disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of YKL-40 and MIP-1a in blood serum and pleural fluids of various pulmonary diseases, and to evaluate their potential role as differential diagnosis biomarkers.

methodsWe recruited 60 patients (age: 62.5 ± 20.6 years) with pleural effusions: 49 exudates and 11 transudates (T). Exudates were further classified based on the underlying disease: ten with tuberculosis (TB), 13 with lung cancer (LCa), 15 with metastatic cancer (MCa) of non-lung origin and 11 with parapneumonic (PN) effusions. YKL-40 and MIP-1a levels were measured by ELISA.

resultsPleural YKL-40 levels (ng/ml) were similar among all patient groups (TB: 399 ± 36, LCa: 401 ± 112, MCa: 416 ± 34, PN: 401 ± 50, T: 399 ± 42, p = 0.92). On the contrary, YKL-40 was significantly lower in the serum of TB patients (TB: 58 ± 22, LCa: 212 ± 106, MCa: 254 ± 140, PN: 265 ± 140, T: 229 ± 123, p < 0.001). Pleural MIP-1a protein levels (ng/ml) were statistically lower only in patients with LCa (TB: 25.0 ± 20.2, LCa: 7.3 ± 6.0, MCa: 16.1 ± 14.9, PN: 25.4 ± 27.9, T: 18.5 ± 7.9, p = 0.012), a finding also observed in serum MIP-1a levels (TB: 17.1 ± 7.6, LCa: 9.4 ± 7.0, MCa: 28.7 ± 28.7, PN: 33.3 ± 24.0, T: 22.9 ± 8.7, p = 0.003).

conclusionsOur data suggest that both YKL-40 and MIP-1a, particularly in serum, could prove useful for the differentiation of pleural effusions in clinical practice, especially of TB or LCa origin. However, large-scale studies are needed to validate these findings.

Indexed as

AdipokinesAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBiomarkersChemokine CCL3Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1Diagnosis, DifferentialExudates and TransudatesFemaleHumansLectinsLung NeoplasmsMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsAdipokinesBiomarkersCCL3 protein, humanChemokine CCL3CHI3L1 protein, humanChitinase-3-Like Protein 1Lectins

Identifiers

PMID26620310
PMCPMC4665844
OpenAlexW2181451957

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.