Chitinase-3-like Protein 1 Levels Research Articles

Diagnostic Role of Serum Chitinase 3 Like Protein 1 as Potential Marker for Fibrosis Assessment in Patient with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

Abstract Objectives The main objective of this research was to study to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of serum chitinase-3 like protein-1 (CHI3L1) in comparison with transient elastography (TE) and non- invasive indirect serum indices (Fib-4 and APRI) for the prediction of significant hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic HBV infection. Methods The current cross-sectional was carried out on 30 individuals with CHB who attended the viral hepatitis unit outpatient clinic, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, from Aug-2021 to Mar-2022. The primary outcome measures are the correlation of CHI3L1 level to TE, Fib-4, and APRI and calculating the sensitivity and specificity. Results The mean age of CHB cases enrolled was 41.60 ± 11.68 years. Male accounted for 21(70%) of cases. The serum level of CHI3L1 was statistically significantly higher in the enrolled patients' group (CHB) median (IQR): 317.5 (300 – 380) ng/ml than healthy control group 28 (25 – 35) with a p-value <0.001. The results of the current study showed a highly significant (p < 0.001) positive correlation (r = +0.702) between CHI3L1 and TE. However, no statistically significant correlations have been found between the level of CHI3L1 and either Fib-4 or APRI. CHI3L1 levels were significantly higher in CHB patients with significant hepatic fibrosis than in those without significant fibrosis in our study. ROC curve shows that CHI3L1 at the cut-off > 307.5 can differentiate between patients with significant fibrosis and patients with no or mild fibrosis according to TE with a sensitivity of 85.5%, specificity of 62.5%, and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64-0.96). Our study showed that significant fibrosis had been found more in older age. The higher the CHI3L1 serum levels, the higher the degree of hepatic fibrosis. Conclusion In conclusion, as the CHI3L1 levels were significantly higher in CHB patients with significant hepatic fibrosis than in those without significant fibrosis, the beneficial effect of CHI3L1 for the prediction of significant hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic HBV infection has some evidence.

Post-COVID Trajectory of Pentraxin 3 Plasma Levels Over 6 Months and Their Association with the Risk of Developing Post-Acute Depression and Anxiety.

Clinical manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) often persist after acute disease resolution. Underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. The objective of this original article was to longitudinally measure plasma levels of markers of the innate immune response to investigate whether they associate with and predict post-COVID symptomatology. Adult patients with previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during the first pandemic wave who underwent the 6-month multidisciplinary follow-up were included. Plasma levels of pentraxin 3 (PTX3), the complement components C3a and C5a, and chitinase-3 like-protein-1 (CHI3L1) were measured at hospital admission during acute disease (baseline) and at 1 and 6 months after hospital discharge. Associations with post-COVID-19 sequelae at 6 months were investigated using descriptive statistic and multiple regression models. Ninety-four COVID-19 patients were included. Baseline PTX3, C5a, C3a, and CHI3L1 did not predict post-COVID-19 sequelae. The extent of the reduction of PTX3 over time (delta PTX3) was associated with lower depressive and anxiety symptoms at 6 months (both p < 0.05). When entering sex, age, need for intensive care unit or non-invasive ventilation during hospital stay, psychiatric history, and baseline PTX3 as nuisance covariates into a generalized linear model (GLM), the difference between baseline and 6-month PTX3 levels (delta PTX3) significantly predicted depression (χ2 = 4.66, p = 0.031) and anxiety (χ2 = 4.68, p = 0.031) at 6 months. No differences in PTX3 levels or PTX3 delta were found in patients with or without persistent or new-onset other COVID-19 symptoms or signs at 6 months. Plasma levels of C3a, C5a, and CHI3L1 did not correlate with PTX3 levels at either time point and failed to associate with residual or de novo respiratory or systemic clinical manifestations of the disease at 6 months. A lower reduction of plasma PTX3 after acute COVID-19 associates with the presence of depression and anxiety, suggesting an involvement of inflammation in post-COVID-19 psychopathology and a potential role of PTX3 as a biomarker.

Association between chitinase-3-like protein 1 and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Early identification of liver fibrosis is essential for the prognosis of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), particularly in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Here, we explored the association of chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) and liver fibrosis in T2DM-MAFLD patients. Liver fibrosis was staged in T2DM-MAFLD patients, and a liver stiffness measurement (LSM) of ≥ 8kPa was used to differentiate between non-significant (NSLF) and significant liver fibrosis (SLF) subgroups. The two subgroups were compared for serum CHI3L1 and other parameters. Linear correlation, logistic regression, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were performed to evaluate the association between CHI3L1 and liver fibrosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of CHI3L1. Among T2DM-MAFLD, SLF patients had higher CHI3L1 compared to NSLF patients. CHI3L1 was found to be positively correlated with LSM. Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that CHI3L1 may be a potential independent risk factor for SLF. Further stratified analysis indicated that the odds ratios of SLF in the high CHI3L1 group were higher than in the low CHI3L1 group in the subgroups. RCS analysis suggested an increasing trend in the incidence of significant fibrosis with the rising level of CHI3L1. The area under the ROC curve for detecting significant fibrosis was 0.749 (95% CI: 0.668-0.829). Serum CHI3L1 demonstrates an association with significant liver fibrosis. High serum levels of CHI3L1 may indicate the existence of significant liver fibrosis in T2DM-MAFLD patients.

Analytical and Clinical Evaluation of a Chemiluminescent Immunoassay to Detect Serum Chitinase-3-like Protein 1 in HBV-Related Liver Diseases.

Serum chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a diagnostic marker for liver diseases, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Herein, we aimed to evaluate the analytical performance of a chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) for the quantitative detection of CHI3L1 and its application in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver diseases. The CLIA for CHI3L1 detection presented good analytical performance, with a linear range of 1.50-2000.00 ng/mL and a detection limit of 0.98 ng/mL. To evaluate its clinical application, serum CHI3L1 levels were detected in 82 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and in 21 healthy controls. The patients with CHB and HCC had higher CHI3L1 levels than the healthy controls and the patients with CHB without HCC. However, CHI3L1 levels did not change significantly with the increase in liver fibrosis stages. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the diagnosis of HBV-related HCC was 0.808, representing a moderate diagnostic value. Correlation analysis revealed a significant association between CHI3L1 and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, and the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI). In conclusion, compared with currently reported methods for CHI3L1 detection, the CLIA has a high sensitivity, a wide linear range, and an acceptable accuracy, precision, and reference intervals, making it valuable in the diagnosis of HBV-related HCC.

The Association Between Serum Levels of Glial Biomarkers, Clinical Severity and Electro-encephalography Features in Idiopathic West and Lennox-Gastaut Syndromes.

Although the contribution of enhanced glial activity in seizure induction is increasingly recognized, the role of glia-induced neuroinflammation in the physiopathology of epileptic encephalopathy (EE) has been scarcely investigated. To delineate the contribution of glial activity in EE, we measured levels of glia-derived mediators with previously described biomarker value, including glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), soluble CD163 (sCD163) and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) by ELISA in sera of patients with idiopathic West syndrome (WS, n=18), idiopathic Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS, n=13) and healthy controls (n=31). Patients with EE showed significantly higher CHI3L1 levels compared to healthy controls. Levels of HMGB1, CHI3L1, sCD163 and TREM2 were higher in LGS patients than WS patients and/or healthy controls. One or more of the investigated mediators were associated with treatment responsiveness, disease severity and presence of pathological features on electroencephalography (EEG). To our knowledge, our findings provide the initial patient-based evidence that astrocyte- and microglia-mediated neuroinflammation might be involved in the pathogenesis of LGS and WS. Moreover, glial mediators may serve as prognostic biomarkers in patients with idiopathic EE.

Role and mechanisms of CHI3L1 in coronary artery lesions in a mouse model of Kawasaki disease-like vasculitis

To explore the role and potential mechanisms of chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) in coronary artery lesions in a mouse model of Kawasaki disease (KD)-like vasculitis. Four-week-old male SPF-grade C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group and a model group, with 10 mice in each group. The model group mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.5 mL of lactobacillus casei cell wall extract (LCWE) to establish a mouse model of KD-like vasculitis, while the control group mice were injected with an equal volume of normal saline. The general conditions of the mice were observed on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th day after injection. Changes in coronary artery tissue pathology were observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. The level of CHI3L1 in mouse serum was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression and localization of CHI3L1, von Willebrand factor (vWF), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in coronary artery tissue. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of CHI3L1, vWF, vascular endothelial cadherin (VE cadherin), Caspase-3, B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), and phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB) in coronary artery tissue. The serum level of CHI3L1 in the model group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the expression of CHI3L1 in the coronary artery tissue was higher, while the expression of vWF was lower in the model group. The relative expression levels of CHI3L1, Bax, Caspase-3, NF-κB, and p-NF-κB were significantly higher in the model group than in the control group (P<0.05). The relative expression levels of vWF, VE cadherin, and Bcl-2 were lower in the model group than in the control group (P<0.05). In the LCWE-induced mouse model of KD-like vasculitis, the expression levels of CHI3L1 in serum and coronary arteries increase, and it may play a role in coronary artery lesions through endothelial cell apoptosis mediated by inflammatory reactions.

SerpinA1 levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: An exploratory study.

SerpinA1, a serine protease inhibitor, is involved in the modulation of microglial-mediated inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. We explored SerpinA1 levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients to understand its potential role in the pathogenesis of the disease. SerpinA1, neurofilament light (NfL) and heavy (NfH) chain, and chitinase-3-like protein-1 (CHI3L1) were determined in CSF and serum of ALS patients (n = 110) and healthy controls (n = 10) (automated next-generation ELISA), and correlated with clinical parameters, after identifying three classes of progressors (fast, intermediate, slow). Biomarker levels were analyzed for diagnostic power and association with progression and survival. SerpinA1serum was significantly decreased in ALS (median: 1032 μg/mL) compared with controls (1343 μg/mL) (p = 0.02). SerpinA1CSF was elevated only in fast progressors (8.6 μg/mL) compared with slow (4.43 μg/mL, p = 0.01) and intermediate (4.42 μg/mL, p = 0.03) progressors. Moreover, SerpinA1CSF correlated with neurofilament and CHI3L1 levels in CSF. Contrarily to SerpinA1CSF , neurofilament and CHI3L1 concentrations in CSF correlated with measures of disease progression in ALS, while SerpinA1serum mildly related with time to generalization (rho = 0.20, p = 0.04). In multivariate analysis, the ratio between serum and CSF SerpinA1 (SerpinA1 ratio) and NfHCSF were independently associated with survival. Higher SerpinA1CSF levels are found in fast progressors, suggesting SerpinA1 is a component of the neuroinflammatory mechanisms acting upon fast-progressing forms of ALS. Both neurofilaments or CHI3L1CSF levels outperformed SerpinA1 at predicting disease progression rate in our cohort, and so the prognostic value of SerpinA1 alone as a measure remains inconclusive.

Oligoclonal Band versus Chitinase-3-Like Protein-1 in CSF of Newly Diagnosed Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune-mediated demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that is usually associated with varying degrees of progressive disability. Chitinase-3-like protein-1 (CHI3L1) has attracted growing attention as a marker of ongoing inflammation and oncogenic transformation. Aim of the Work The aim of this work was to try to assess the diagnostic accuracy of CHI3L1 versus IgG oligoclonal bands (OCBs) in the CSF of newly diagnosed RRMS patients in an attempt to throw light on a new simpler non subjective potential diagnostic marker in MS. Patients and Methods This was a cross-sectional study of MS patients carried at Ain Shams University Hospitals during the period from January 2021 till January 2022. Subjects included in this study were 40 patients diagnosed as having RRMS, on the basis of their MRI findings, clinical presentation and according to the revised McDonald criteria 2017. The group included 10 males and 30 females; their ages ranged from 20 to 45 years. Results We found a significant correlation between CSF CHI3L1 levels and presence of oligoclonal bands, and that a cut off value of 30 ng/ml could be used for diagnosis of MS with sensitivity 84.85% and specificity 85.71%. A highly significant association was also found between CHI3L1 levels in CSF and EDSS score. Conclusion We concluded that there were high levels of CHI3L1 in the CSF of MS patients and there was a significant correlation between CHI3L1 and oligoclonal bands and that CHI3L1 is a promising diagnostic marker of MS.

Serum CHI3L1 as a biomarker of interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a relatively prevalent extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and contributes to significant morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to analyze the association between chitinase-3 like-protein-1(CHI3L1) and the presence of RA-ILD. A total of 239 RA patients fulfilling the American Rheumatism Association (ACR) 1987 revised criteria were enrolled and subclassified as RA-ILD and RA-nILD based on the results of high-resolution computed tomography scans (HRCT) of the chest. The disease activity of RA was assessed by Disease Activity Score for 28 joints (DAS28) and categorized as high, moderate, low, and remission. Chemiluminescence immunoassays were applied to determine the serum levels of CHI3L1. Univariate analysis was performed and the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the correlation between RA-ILD and CHI3L1. Among the eligible RA patients studied, 60 (25.1%) patients were diagnosed with RA-ILD. Compared with RA-nILD, RA patients with ILD had significantly higher median age (median [IQR], 68.00 [62.00-71.75] vs 53.00 [40.00-63.00], p<0.001) and a higher proportion of males (21 (35.0%) vs 30 (16.8%), p=0.003). Notably, differences in DAS28 scores between the two groups were not observed. The serum level of CHI3L1 was significantly higher in RA-ILD patients (median [IQR], 69.69 [44.51-128.66] ng/ml vs 32.19 [21.63-56.99] ng/ml, p<0.001). Furthermore, the areas under the curve (AUC) of CHI3L1 attained 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-0.81, p<0.001) in terms of identifying patients with RA-ILD from those without ILD. Similar trends were seen across the spectrum of disease activity based on DAS28-ESR. Our findings of elevated serum CHI3L1 levels in RA-ILD patients suggest its possible role as a biomarker to detect RA-ILD noninvasively.

Protein biomarkers in multiple sclerosis.

This review aimed to elucidate protein biomarkers in body fluids, such as blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), to identify those that may be used for early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), prediction of disease activity, and monitoring of treatment response among MS patients. The potential biomarkers elucidated in this review include neurofilament proteins (NFs), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), leptin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), C-X-C motif chemokine 13 (CXCL13), and osteopontin (OPN), with each biomarker playing a different role in MS. GFAP, leptin, and CHI3L1 levels were increased in MS patient groups compared to the control group. NFs are the most studied proteins in the MS field, and significant correlations with disease activity, future progression, and treatment outcomes are evident. GFAP CSF level shows a different pattern by MS subtype. Increased concentration of CHI3L1 in the blood/CSF of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is an independent predictive factor of conversion to definite MS. BDNF may be affected by chronic progression of MS. CHI3L1 has potential as a biomarker for early diagnosis of MS and prediction of disability progression, while CXCL13 has potential as a biomarker of prognosis of CIS and reflects MS disease activity. OPN was an indicator of disease severity. A periodic detailed patient evaluation should be performed for MS patients, and broadly and easily accessible biomarkers with higher sensitivity and specificity in clinical settings should be identified.

Diagnostic value of novel hepatic fibrosis markers in assessing cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) and Golgi protein 73 (GP73) in the diagnosis of cirrhosis and the dynamic changes of CHI3L1 and GP73 after HCV clearance in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treated with direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs). The comparison of continuous variables of normal distribution were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and t-test. The comparison of continuous variables of non-normal distribution were statistically analyzed by rank sum test. The categorical variables were statistically analyzed by Fisher's exact test and χ(2) test. Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman correlation analysis. Methods: Data of 105 patients with CHC diagnosed from January 2017 to December 2019 were collected. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted to study the efficacy of serum CHI3L1 and GP73 for the diagnosis of cirrhosis. Friedman test was used to compare CHI3L1 and GP73 change characteristics. Results: The areas under the ROC curve for CHI3L1 and GP73 in the diagnosis of cirrhosis at baseline were 0.939 and 0.839, respectively. Serum levels of CHI3L1 and GP73 in the DAAs group decreased significantly at the end of treatment compared with baseline [123.79 (60.25, 178.80) ng/ml vs. 118.20 (47.68, 151.36) ng/ml, P = 0.001; 105.73 (85.05, 130.69) ng/ml vs. 95.52 (69.52, 118.97) ng/ml, P = 0.001]. Serum CHI3L1 and GP73 in the pegylated interferon combined with ribavirin (PR) group were significantly lower at the end of 24 weeks of treatment than the baseline [89.15 (39.15, 149.74) ng/ml vs. 69.98 (20.52, 71.96) ng/ml, P < 0.05; 85.07 (60.07, 121) ng/ml vs. 54.17 (29.17, 78.65) ng/ml, P < 0.05]. Conclusion: CHI3L1 and GP73 are sensitive serological markers that can be used to monitor the fibrosis prognosis in CHC patients during treatment and after obtaining a sustained virological response. Serum CHI3L1 and GP73 levels in the DAAs group decreased earlier than those in the PR group, and the serum CHI3L1 levels in the untreated group increased compared with the baseline at about two years of follow-up.

Oligoclonal band versus chitinase-3-like protein-1 in CSF of newly diagnosed relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune-mediated demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that is usually associated with varying degrees of progressive disability. Chitinase-3-like protein-1 (CHI3L1) has attracted growing attention as a marker of ongoing inflammation and oncogenic transformation. The aim of this work was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of CHI3L1 versus IgG oligoclonal bands (OCBs) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of newly diagnosed relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) patients to throw light on a new simpler non subjective potential diagnostic marker in MS. This cross-sectional study of MS patients was carried at Ain Shams University Hospitals during the period from January 2021 till January 2022. Subjects included in this study were 40 patients diagnosed as having RRMS, based on their magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, clinical presentation and according to the revised McDonald criteria 2017. The group included 10 males and 30 females; their ages ranged from 20 to 45 years. We found a significant correlation between CSF CHI3L1 levels and presence of oligoclonal bands (p=0.001), and that a cut off value of 30 ng/ml could be used for diagnosis of MS with sensitivity 84.85% and specificity 85.71%. A significant association was also found between CHI3L1 levels in CSF and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score (p=0.002). We concluded that there were high levels of CHI3L1 in the CSF of MS patients and there was a significant correlation between CHI3L1 and oligoclonal bands and that CHI3L1 may be considered a promising diagnostic marker of MS.

Circulating markers of neutrophil activation and lung injury in pediatric pneumonia in low-resource settings

ABSTRACT Diagnostic biomarkers for childhood pneumonia could guide management and improve antibiotic stewardship in low-resource settings where chest x-ray (CXR) is not always available. In this cross-sectional study, we measured chitinase 3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), surfactant protein D (SP-D), lipocalin-2 (LCN2), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) in Ugandan children under the age of five hospitalized with acute lower respiratory tract infection. We determined the association between biomarker levels and primary end-point pneumonia, indicated by CXR consolidation. We included 89 children (median age 11 months, 39% female). Primary endpoint pneumonia was present in 22 (25%). Clinical signs were similar in children with and without CXR consolidation. Broad-spectrum antibiotics (ceftriaxone) were administered in 83 (93%). Levels of CHI3L1, SP-D, LCN2 and TIMP-1 were higher in patients with primary end-point pneumonia compared to patients with normal CXR or other infiltrates. All markers were moderately accurate predictors of primary end-point pneumonia, with area under receiver operator characteristic curves of 0.66-0.70 (p<0.05 for all markers). The probability of CXR consolidation increased monotonically with the number of markers above cut-off. Among 28 patients (31%) in whom all four markers were below the cut-off, the likelihood ratio of CXR consolidation was 0.11 (95%CI 0.015 to 0.73). CHI3L1, SP-D, LCN2 and TIMP-1 were associated with CXR consolidation in children with clinical pneumonia in a low-resource setting. Combinations of quantitative biomarkers may be useful to safely withhold antibiotics in children with a low probability of bacterial infection.

BIOM-15. GLIOBLASTOMA CELLS SHOW ELEVATED CHITINASE 3-LIKE PROTEIN 1 GENE EXPRESSION IN RESPONSE TO HUMAN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID WITH INCREASED MIGRATION AND EPITHELIAL-MESENCHYMAL TRANSITION RELATED ACTIVITY

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and malignant primary brain tumor in adults. GBM tumors proximal to the lateral ventricles have a worse prognosis with multifocality, recurrence, and lower overall survival. Studies suggest this increased aggressiveness is attributed to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), as we have previously observed transcriptomic changes in GBM cells upon CSF exposure. GlioVis database reveals chitinase 3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), a glycoprotein secreted by immune and cancer cells, is associated with poor prognosis and co-expressed with pro-inflammatory and tissue remodeling genes. We suggest exposure to CSF elevates CHI3L1 expression, consequently impacting malignancy-associated gene expression in patient-derived GBM lines. We first evaluated if patient CSF influences the expression of CHI3L1. GBM cells were treated with artificial CSF, non-cancer CSF, or cancer CSF for 72 hours. qPCR revealed significant increases in CHI3L1 (p&amp;lt; 0.0001), SPP1, and CD44 expression in cancer CSF groups compared to artificial CSF. CHI3L1 expression at the protein level is also increased by cancer CSF when profiled using Western Blot. Additionally, ELISA results indicated significantly higher levels of CHI3L1 in CSF samples obtained from patients with high-grade tumors compared to non-cancer samples. Next, we assessed if exogenous CHI3L1 stimulates GBM malignancy at the cellular level. An effective concentration of recombinant human CHI3L1 was determined through Alamar Blue assay, showing 500 ng/ml CHI3L1 increases viability in primary patient cell lines compared to non-treated media. Recombinant CHI3L1 also increases cell migration in Transwell assay. qPCR revealed Vimentin (p&amp;lt; 0.001) and Twist (p&amp;lt; 0.0001) expression significantly increases while E-cadherin (p&amp;lt; 0.001) significantly decreases in CHI3L1-treated groups, consistent with EMT and migratory activity. Ultimately, this study shows CHI3L1 is a CSF-induced factor in GBM and could be a therapeutic target as it enhances tumor malignancy by increasing proliferation, migration, and malignancy-promoting gene expression.

Analysis of Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1, IL-1-Alpha, and IL-6 as Novel Inflammatory Biomarkers for COVID-19.

The aim of our study was to investigate the potential role of IL-1-alpha, IL-6, and chitinase 3-like protein-1 (CHI3L1) as potential biomarkers for COVID-19. Sixty adult SARS Cov-2 PCR-positive patients (22 mild, 25 moderate, and 13 severe) and 50 healthy controls were included in this study. The serum levels of CHI3L1, IL-1-alpha, and IL-6 for all study participants were measured by protein-specific ELISAs. Mean serum CHI3L1 levels in patients with severe disease (7,185.5 ± 1,109.4) were significantly higher than in the moderate (3,977.4 ± 1,260.3), mild (1,379.5 ± 598.8), and control (329.5 ± 128.4) groups (P = 0.001). There was no difference in IL-1-alpha levels between the patient and control groups (P = 0.083). IL-6 levels differed significantly, being lowest in the control group (35.9 ± 13.7), 89.1 ± 23.4 in the mild group, 156.2 ± 29.6 in the moderate group, and the highest in the severe group (214.9 ± 28.1) (P = 0.001). A strong significant correlation was found between disease severity and serum IL-6 and CHI3L1 values (r = 0.894 and r = 0.905, respectively, and P < 0.001 for both). Serum CHI3L1 and IL-6 levels exhibited a linear correlation with the clinical course of COVID-19 infection. These results indicate that inhibitors of IL-6 and/or CHI3L1 may provide useful treatments for COVID-19.

Association of Serum GFAP with Functional and Neurocognitive Outcome in Sporadic Small Vessel Disease.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum biomarkers are critical for clinical decision making in neurological diseases. In cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), white matter hyperintensities (WMH) are an important neuroimaging biomarker, but more blood-based biomarkers capturing different aspects of CSVD pathology are needed. In 42 sporadic CSVD patients, we prospectively analysed WMH on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the biomarkers neurofilament light chain (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), chitinase3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), Tau and Aβ1-42 in CSF and NfL and GFAP in serum. GFAP and CHI3L1 expression was studied in post-mortem brain tissue in additional cases. CSVD cases with higher serum NfL and GFAP levels had a higher modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and NIHSS score and lower CSF Aβ1-42 levels, whereas the CSF NfL and CHI3L1 levels were positively correlated with the WMH load. Moreover, the serum GFAP levels significantly correlated with the neurocognitive functions. Pathological analyses in CSVD revealed a high density of GFAP-immunoreactive fibrillary astrocytic processes in the periventricular white matter and clusters of CHI3L1-immunoreactive astrocytes in the basal ganglia and thalamus. Thus, besides NfL, serum GFAP is a highly promising fluid biomarker of sporadic CSVD, because it does not only correlate with the clinical severity but also correlates with the cognitive function in patients.

The Value of Serum CHI3L1 for the Diagnosis of Chronic Liver Diseases.

ObjectiveTo explore the value of chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) for the diagnosis of patients with chronic liver diseases such as chronic viral hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and analyze the correlation between serum CHI3L1 level and Child–Pugh grading of chronic liver diseases.MethodsThe serum CHI3L1 levels of 154 cases of chronic viral hepatitis B, 132 cases of liver cirrhosis and 88 cases of HCC were detected by ELISA, and 92 healthy subjects were taken as the control.ResultsThe –serum CHI3L1 levels in HCC group, liver cirrhosis group and chronic viral hepatitis B group were higher than in healthy control group (P < 0.001). Serum CHI3L1 level showed a trend of increase in patients with chronic hepatitis to liver cirrhosis and to HCC. The diagnostic efficacy of serum CHI3L1 level on liver cirrhosis showed the sensitivity of 64.4% and the specificity of 96.7%. The diagnostic efficacy of serum CHI3L1 level on HCC showed the sensitivity of 86.8% and the specificity of 97.8%. Serum CHI3L1 level was higher in Child–Pugh grade B and C patients than in Child–Pugh grade A patients, and was positively correlated with Child–Pugh grading of liver function (rs = 0.301, P < 0.001).ConclusionSerum CHI3L1 level increased in chronic liver diseases and showed an increase trend with the progression of liver diseases. Serum CHI3L1 could be a biomarker for the auxiliary diagnosis of chronic liver diseases.

Chitinase-3-like protein-1 at hospital admission predicts COVID-19 outcome: a prospective cohort study

Infectious and inflammatory stimuli elicit the generation of chitinase-3-like protein-1 (CHI3L1), involved in tissue damage, repair and remodeling. We evaluated whether plasma CHI3L1 at disease onset predicts clinical outcome of patients with Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease. Blood from 191 prospectively followed COVID-19 patients were collected at hospital admission between March 18th and May 5th, 2020. Plasma from 80 survivors was collected one month post-discharge. Forty age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers served as controls. Primary outcome was transfer to intensive care unit (ICU) or death. CHI3L1 was higher in COVID-19 patients than controls (p < 0.0001). Patients with unfavorable outcome (41 patients admitted to ICU, 47 died) had significantly higher CHI3L1 levels than non-ICU survivors (p < 0.0001). CHI3L1 levels abated in survivors one month post-discharge, regardless of initial disease severity (p < 0.0001), although remaining higher than controls (p < 0.05). Cox regression analysis revealed that CHI3L1 levels predict primary outcome independently of age, sex, comorbidities, degree of respiratory insufficiency and systemic inflammation or time from symptom onset to sampling (p < 0.0001). Kaplan–Meier curve analysis confirmed that patients with CHI3L1 levels above the median (361 ng/mL) had a poorer prognosis (log rank test, p < 0.0001). Plasma CHI3L1 is increased in COVID-19 patients and predicts adverse outcome.

Chitinase-3 Like-Protein-1 in CSF: A Novel Biomarker for Progression in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Background: Chitinase -3-Like protein-1 (CHI3L1) is a glycoside secreted by monocytes, microglia, and activated astrocytes. Its distribution in inflammatory lesions suggests that it might be an important component of the astrocytic response to modulate CNS inflammation. CHI3L1 levels in CSF have been found to influence prognosis, disease severity and progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Pentraxin 3 Predicts Arteriovenous Fistula Functional Patency Loss and Mortality in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients

Introduction: Viable vascular access is the lifeline for hemodialysis patients. In the nondialysis population, emerging evidence suggests that circulating pentraxin 3 (PTX3), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) are associated with cardiovascular inflammation and endothelial injury. However, predictive values of these three biomarkers on arteriovenous fistula (AVF) outcomes are unknown. Methods: This prospective observational cohort study enrolled 135 hemodialysis patients using AVF and then followed them for 3 years. Plasma levels of PTX3, NGAL, and CHI3L1 were measured. Patients were followed up prospectively for two clinical outcomes, including AVF functional patency loss and death. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze hazard ratios for the commencement of AVF functional patency loss and mortality. Results: Among 135 patients, the mean age was 66.0 ± 15.7 years old and 48.1% were male. The plasma level of PTX3, NGAL, and CHI3L1 was 2.8 ± 2.3 ng/mL, 349.2 ± 111.4 ng/mL, and 185.5 ± 66.8 ng/mL, respectively. During a 3-year follow-up period, the plasma level of PTX3 was an independent predictor for AVF functional patency loss (per 1 ng/mL increase, HR 1.112 [95% CI: 1.001–1.235], p = 0.048). Besides, patients with higher plasma levels of PTX3 were more likely to suffer from cardiovascular mortality (per 1 ng/mL increase, HR 1.320 [95% CI: 1.023–1.703], p = 0.033), infectious mortality (per 1 ng/mL increase, HR 1.394 [95% CI: 1.099–1.769], p = 0.006), and all-cause mortality (per 1 ng/mL increase, HR 1.233 [95% CI: 1.031–1.476], p = 0.022). Conclusions: The plasma level of PTX3, not NGAL or CHI3L1, was associated with higher risks of AVF functional patency loss in chronic hemodialysis patients, showing its value in reflecting AVF endothelial dysfunction. Furthermore, PTX3 also predicts mortality in chronic hemodialysis patients.