Observational studyArthritis research & therapy2021
Serum chitinase-3-like 1 protein is a useful biomarker to assess disease activity in ANCA-associated vasculitis: an observational study.
Observational study in Arthritis research & therapy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Non-invasive biomarkers of disease activity and organ damage in ANCA-associated vasculitis: a systematic review.RMD open · 2024Pooled it
- Predictive value of serum chitinase 3-like 1 for dysfunctional autogenous arteriovenous fistulas in patients with chronic kidney disease stage G5.Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2025Article
- Biomarkers in ANCA associated vasculitis: clinical utility, pitfalls and their role in the outcomes assessment.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- YKL-40 as a biomarker in various inflammatory diseases: A review.Biochemia medica · 2024Review
- YKL-40 serum levels are predicted by inflammatory state, age and diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Activity of granulomatosis with polyangiitis and its correlation with mTOR phosphoproteomics in neutrophils.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Article
- BVAS version 3 and BVAS/GPA: standing on the same line?Clinical rheumatology · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTo investigate whether serum chitinase-3-like 1 protein (YKL-40) is associated with disease activity in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV).
methodsELISA was performed in serum samples from AAV patients who were enrolled in our prospective observational cohort to estimate levels of YKL-40. Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS) (version 3), five factor score (FFS), and short form-36 (SF-36), as well as clinical and laboratory data were collected. Kidney expression of YKL-40 was assessed by immunohistochemical staining using renal biopsy tissues from ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis patients (AAGN). Severe AAV and FFS were defined as BVAS ≥ 12 and FFS ≥ 2, and the correlations between laboratory variables, BVAS, FFS, and SF-36 score were assessed using linear regression analysis. The optimal cut-off of serum YKL-40 for severe AAV and high FFS was calculated using the receiver operator characteristic curve analysis.
resultsOf the included 60 patients, 32 (53.3%), 17 (28.3%), and 11 (18.3%) were classified as microscopic polyangiitis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. The median BVAS and FFS were 7.0 and 1.0, whereas the mean SF-36 physical and mental component scores were 50.5 and 58.3. Serum YKL-40 level was higher in patients with severe AAV and high FFS compared to those without (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001); multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that serum YKL-40 was independently associated with BVAS, FFS, and SF-36 scores. On kidney tissues obtained from AAGN patients, strong cytoplasmic staining of YKL-40 was found in cells present in inflammatory lesions. In addition, AAV patients had higher levels of serum YKL-40 compared to those with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and healthy control. The proportion of patients having severe AAV and high FFS was significantly higher in those with serum YKL-40 > 221.3 ng/mL and > 227.1 ng/mL than those without (relative risk 2.852 and 7.000). In 12 patients with serial YKL-40 testing, 11 patients (91.7%) exhibited a reduction in serum YKL-40 levels following a decrease in disease activity (p < 0.001).
conclusionOur findings suggest that serum YKL-40 may be a clinically useful biomarker to assess AAV disease activity.
trial registrationRetrospectively registered.
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