Serum chitinase-3-like protein 1 is a biomarker of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B in China.

BACKGROUND

Serum chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a potential biomarker for fibrosis assessment. We aimed to evaluate serum CHI3L1 as a noninvasive diagnostic marker for chronic hepatitis B virus-related fibrosis.

METHODS

Serum CHI3L1 levels were measured by ELISA in 134 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Significant fibrosis was defined as a liver stiffness > 9.7 kPa. The performance of CHI3L1 was assessed and compared to that of other noninvasive tests by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

RESULTS

Serum CHI3L1 levels were significantly higher in CHB patients with significant hepatic fibrosis (≥ F2, 81.9 ng/mL) than in those without significant hepatic fibrosis (< F2, 56.5 ng/mL) (P < 0.001). In CHB patients, the specificity and sensitivity of CHI3L1 for predicting significant fibrosis were 75.6% and 59.1%, respectively, with a cut-off of 76.0 ng/mL and an area under the ROC curve of 0.728 (95% CI: 0.637-0.820).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum CHI3L1 levels could be an effective new serological biomarker for the diagnosis of liver. Moreover, CHI3L1 is feasible in monitoring disease progression.