Serum YKL-40 as a diagnostic biomarker for cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To assess the diagnostic properties of serum YKL-40 cervical squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) diagnosis.

METHODS

Blood samples were collected from 56 patients who attended the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at Khon Kaen Hospital, Thailand. Serum YKL-40 levels were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay in 56 patients with SCC and in 40 healthy women donors as a control.

RESULTS

Serum YKL-40 was significant higher in those with SCC (median, 63.5 ng/ml; interquartile range (IQR), 23 to 309) compared to the controls (median, 20.8 ng/ml; IQR, 3 to 97). At the cut-off value of 30.5 ng/ml of serum YKL-40, area under the curve of the receiver operator characteristic curve was 0.958 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.916 to 0.999) for SCC diagnosis with 90.6% accuracy, 94.6% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity. No association of high serum YKL-40 level and overall survival time was found.

CONCLUSION

The study suggest the diagnostic potential of serum YKL-40 for SCC diagnosis.