We examined serum samples from 93 NAFLD patients and 19 healthy donors (HDs) for macrophage-associated protein, including sSiglec-7, soluble CD163, and YKL-40, and examined their correlation with liver fibrosis scores, tissue elastography, and histological findings.
Serum markers such as chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) also known as YKL-40, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index, and fibrosis-4 (Fib-4) index have been researched as potential alternates to detect liver fibrosis.
This study aimed to determine whether YKL-40 could serve as a diagnostic marker for the assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B patients with normal and mildly elevated ALT.
Finally, we showed that CHI3L1 is superior to hyaluronic acid (HA), type III procollagen (PCIII), laminin (LN), and type IV collagen (CIV), which are also serum biomarkers of liver fibrosis, in identifying advanced liver fibrosis in patients with HBV-related liver fibrosis in China.
Changes in serum chitinase 3-like 1 levels correlate with changes in liver fibrosis measured by two established quantitative methods in chronic hepatitis B patients following antiviral therapy.