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Plasma YKL-40 levels in healthy subjects from the general population

Stig E Bojesen1, Julia S Johansen, Børge G Nordestgaard

  • 1Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. stebo@heh.regionh.dk

Clinica Chimica Acta; International Journal of Clinical Chemistry
|January 29, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Plasma YKL-40, a biomarker linked to poor prognosis in disease, increases with age in healthy individuals. Establishing age-adjusted reference levels is crucial for accurate YKL-40 test result interpretation.

Area of Science:

  • Biomarker research
  • Clinical chemistry
  • Population health studies

Background:

  • Plasma YKL-40 is an emerging biomarker associated with cancer and inflammatory diseases.
  • Elevated plasma YKL-40 levels correlate with poorer patient prognosis.
  • Establishing normative reference levels in healthy populations is essential for clinical utility.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine reference levels of plasma YKL-40 in a healthy adult population.
  • To investigate the relationship between plasma YKL-40 and age.
  • To assess the longitudinal changes in plasma YKL-40 over time.

Main Methods:

  • Plasma YKL-40 was measured in 3130 healthy Danish adults (aged 20-80) from the Copenhagen City Heart Study.
  • Participants were disease-free at baseline (1991-1994) and followed for 16 years.
  • YKL-40 was re-measured in 644 participants after a 10-year interval.

Main Results:

  • The median plasma YKL-40 was 40 μg/L (reference range: 14-155 μg/L), with no sex difference.
  • Plasma YKL-40 levels demonstrated an exponential increase with age.
  • An age-adjusted percentile formula was derived: percentile=100/(1+(YKL-40^-3)*(1.062^age)*5000).
  • Longitudinal analysis showed a mean YKL-40 increase of 1.5 μg/L/year, with minimal change in age percentile.

Conclusions:

  • Plasma YKL-40 levels naturally increase with age in healthy individuals.
  • Age-specific or age-adjusted reference ranges are necessary for accurate interpretation of YKL-40 test results.
  • These findings are vital for understanding YKL-40's role in general population health.
Abstract

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