Plasma YKL-40 levels are elevated in patients with chronic heart failure

Scand Cardiovasc J. 2010 Apr;44(2):92-9. doi: 10.3109/14017430903402218.

Abstract

Objectives: Congestive heart failure (CHF) has been associated with elevated biomarker levels reflecting chronic low-grade inflammation. YKL-40 is a biomarker with increasing levels in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) of increasing severity. Furthermore, YKL-40 is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. We investigated plasma YKL-40 levels in patients with CHF and evaluated the possible predictive value with respect to overall mortality and recurrent cardiovascular outcomes.

Design: Plasma YKL-40 was measured in 194 CHF patients and in 117 age-matched individuals without CVD.

Results: Median YKL-40 levels were approximately 77% higher in patients with CHF (106 (IQR, 66-184) ng/ml vs. 60 (IQR, 42-97) ng/ml, p < 0.0001). We found a trend towards an association of YKL-40 levels with urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) (beta = 0.12, p = 0.08). YKL-40 levels were not predictive of overall mortality (p = 0.59), major cardiovascular events (p = 0.23) or events of incompensation (p = 0.56).

Conclusions: Plasma YKL-40 levels are elevated in patients with CHF but show no association with other clinical or paraclinical variables. YKL-40 levels were not predictive of overall mortality or incident cardiovascular events. Most likely, elevated YKL-40 levels in CHF patients are explained by the presence of concomitant diseases but a role of YKL-40 in low-grade inflammation is not excluded.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipokines
  • Aged
  • Albuminuria / blood
  • Albuminuria / mortality
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • C-Reactive Protein / metabolism
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1
  • Chronic Disease
  • Comorbidity
  • Creatinine / blood
  • Denmark / epidemiology
  • E-Selectin / blood
  • Female
  • Glycoproteins / blood*
  • Heart Failure / blood*
  • Heart Failure / mortality
  • Humans
  • Lectins / blood*
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / blood
  • Peptide Fragments / blood
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Time Factors
  • Up-Regulation
  • von Willebrand Factor / metabolism

Substances

  • Adipokines
  • Biomarkers
  • CHI3L1 protein, human
  • Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1
  • E-Selectin
  • Glycoproteins
  • Lectins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76)
  • von Willebrand Factor
  • Natriuretic Peptide, Brain
  • C-Reactive Protein
  • Creatinine