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Clinical significance of serum YKL-40 in Behçet disease
1Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Serum YKL-40 levels are elevated in Behçet disease (BD) patients and correlate with disease activity. This inflammatory biomarker may aid in monitoring BD progression and treatment effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Serum YKL-40 is an inflammatory biomarker linked to endothelial dysfunction.
- YKL-40 may be involved in the inflammatory processes of Behçet disease (BD).
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate serum YKL-40 levels in BD patients.
- Identify associations between YKL-40, inflammatory cytokines, and BD clinical features.
- Compare YKL-40 levels with BD disease activity.
Main Methods:
- Included 112 BD patients and 45 healthy controls.
- Assessed disease activity using BD Current Activity Form and EMRAI scores.
- Analyzed serum YKL-40 levels and correlated them with clinical and laboratory parameters.
Main Results:
- Serum YKL-40 levels were significantly higher in BD patients compared to healthy volunteers (P < 0.01).
- Elevated YKL-40 levels correlated with higher EMRAI scores and active BD phases.
- Serum YKL-40 positively correlated with interleukin-6 and disease activity scores (P = 0.04).
Conclusions:
- YKL-40 may play a role in Behçet disease pathophysiology.
- Serum YKL-40 can serve as a valuable biomarker for monitoring BD patients.
Background:
Serum YKL-40 is an inflammatory biomarker of endothelial dysfunction and may play a role in the inflammatory process of Behçet disease (BD).
Objectives:
Serum YKL-40 levels were evaluated in patients with BD in order to identify associations with other inflammatory cytokines and establish laboratory parameters. Serum YKL-40 levels were also compared with BD clinical features and disease activity.
Methods:
In total, 112 patients with BD and 45 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were included. Disease activity was assessed with BD Current Activity Form score and Electronic Medical Record-based Activity Index (EMRAI) score.
Results:
Serum YKL-40 levels were significantly higher in patients with BD (median 41·88, range 12·52-171·30 ng mL(-1) ) than in healthy volunteers (median 20·92, range 5·01-64·20 ng mL(-1) ; P < 0·01). The cut-off value for YKL-40 (30·005 ng mL(-1) ) was determined from the receiver operating characteristic curve. EMRAI scores and the proportion of patients in the active phase of BD presenting with two or more major criteria were significantly higher in patients with elevated YKL-40 levels (P = 0·04 and P = 0·04, respectively). A statistically significant elevation in YKL-40 levels was observed in patients with active BD compared with patients with inactive BD (P = 0·05). Serum YKL-40 values were positively correlated with interleukin-6 and EMRAI scores (both P = 0·04), indicating that serum YKL-40 levels are increased in patients with BD and positively correlate with disease activity.
Conclusions:
YKL-40 may play a role in the pathophysiology of BD and provide a useful marker for monitoring patients with BD.
