[Research progress on serum chitinase-3-like protein 1 for diagnosing early-stage liver fibrosis non-invasively]

Liver fibrosis is a pathological change caused by hepatocyte inflammation and necrosis due to various etiologies, leading to excessive deposition of the extracellular matrix. Furthermore, it can progress to liver cirrhosis or even cancer if not detected and treated in a timely manner. Therefore, early-stage diagnosis and timely intervention are of great significance for the prevention of liver cirrhosis and cancer. In recent years, the non-invasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis still has certain limitations, hence an ideal non-invasive diagnostic method for early-stage remains a research hotspot. Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a member of the chitinase family, encoded by the human CHI3L1 gene, which is highly expressed in the liver, playing an important role in various inflammatory and fibrotic disease processes with its secretion as a glycoprotein with cytokine and growth factor properties. Recent studies have shown that serum CHI3L1, as an emerging biomarker, has been widely used in the screening and diagnosis of liver-related diseases. This paper reviews the role of serum CHI3L1 in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis non-invasively and its relationship with the staging of liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and primary liver cancer, providing references for clinical treatment.