Assessment of serum YKL-40 as a diagnostic biomarker and its discriminating power between different liver diseases

The aim of this study was to assess the performance of serum YKL-40 (Chitinase 3-like 1) as a diagnostic biomarker and its discriminating power between different liver diseases. And assessment of the diagnostic value of serum YKL-40 independently and in combination with some of the well-known routine markers by our new equation that we gave it the name (KLT score), and study if this combination leading to diagnostic power improvement and their AUCs elevation or not. Patients were classified into 4 groups: group 1 included 20 with (HCC), group 2 including 28 with(cirrhosis), group 3 included 20 patients with (HBV), group 4 included 20 patients with (HCV), 20 (control group) . Our study revealed that to differentiate between cirrhosis and HCC, KLT score is the best for this discrimination, to discriminate between(HCV and HBV) & (HBV and Cirrhosis), YKL-40 had the best AUC followed by KLT score . We gave a power to routine ALT and Albumin to be useful for differentiation between Cirrhosis and HCC by our new equation (KLT score). Also we provided different cut off values for differentiation between HCV& HBV, Cirrhosis & HCC.