The serum YKL-40 level is a potential biomarker for OSAHS: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Several studies have reported that serum YKL-40 level was elevated in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). However, most of these studies had relatively small sample sizes and the results were inconsistent. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to determine the potential role of serum YKL-40 level in OSAHS.

A systematic literature search was performed in several databases to identify eligible studies involving the relationship between serum YKL-40 level and OSAHS. The standardized mean difference (SMD) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to determine the effect sizes.

Five eligible articles were extracted in this meta-analysis. The pooled results demonstrated that the serum YKL-40 level was significantly higher in OSAHS patients compared with their non-OSAHS controls (SMD 1.03, 95% CI 0.46, 1.59, I² = 87%, P = 0.0004). The subgroup analysis showed that Asian (SMD 1.81, 95% CI 1.41, 2.21, I² = 0%, P < 0.00001) and Caucasian (SMD 0.67, 95% CI 0.39, 0.96, I² = 0%, P < 0.00001) patients with OSAHS had higher serum YKL-40 levels than their non-OSAHS controls. YKL-40 level in serum was increased in OSAHS patients with BMI < 28 (SMD 1.81, 95% CI 1.41, 2.21, I² = 0%, P < 0.00001), as well as in patients with BMI ≥ 28 (SMD 0.57, 95% CI 0.33, 0.81, I² = 0%, P < 0.00001). In addition, OSAHS patients with cardiac complications had a higher serum YKL-40 level compared with those patients without cardiac complications (SMD 0.80, 95% CI 0.32, 1.28, I² = 67%, P = 0.001).

This study indicates that OSAHS patients have higher serum YKL-40 level, which may serve as a potential biomarker for OSAHS diagnosis and monitoring.