Table 1 CHI3L1 as a biomarker in the pathology of brain and degenerative diseases
Disease | Sample | Study | Outcome | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Brain tumor | Human glioma cell lines | 32 brain samples (16 glioblastomas, Grade IV and 16 normal brains) | CHI3L1 suppression by shRNA reduced glioma cell invasion and anchorage-independent growth, while CHI3L1 overexpression promoted glioma progression. This indicates that CHI3L1 plays a critical role in regulating malignant transformation and local invasiveness in glioma. | |
Acute Brain Injuries | ||||
 CIS | Serum and CSF | A total of 10,472 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) | CHI3L1 is associated with recurrent stroke and poor functional outcomes, and it enhances the accuracy of clinical risk classification algorithms. | [72] |
 TBI | CSF and serum | Twenty individuals with severe TBI had a GCS score between 3 and 8, while 115 patients had GCS scores ranging from 3 to 15 | CSF YKL-40 levels were elevated following acute TBI and were significantly higher in patients who did not survive compared to those who did. YKL-40 showed the strongest association with the level of consciousness, correlating with both total GCS and motor scores. Thus, CHI3L1 (YKL-40) emerges as a promising biomarker for determining the presence, location, and extent of traumatic intracranial lesions, as well as for predicting patient prognosis. | |
Neurodegenerative disorders | ||||
 AD | CSF | Cochrane library databases from January 1990 to October 2021 | CSF CHI3L1 serves as a potential biomarker for predicting the prognosis of MCI, the likelihood of progression to AD, and differentiating between AD and MCI. | [75] |
 PD | CSF and serum | 87 participants were included, comprising patients with Parkinson’s disease and control subjects | Lower CSF CHI3L1 expression in PD patients compared to healthy individuals suggests reduced glial cell activation in the brains of PD patients. CHI3L1 has been identified as a key protein involved in inflammation and the progression of PD. | |
 ALS | Plasma | 44 MND patients, 7 hereditary spastic paraplegia patients, 9 MND mimics, and 19 healthy controls. | Plasma CHI3L1 levels were increased in the MND mimics cohort compared with MNDs group. | [78] |
 CJD | Plasma | A total of 315 cases were sampled including health controls. | Plasma CHI3L1 was significantly elevated in CJD regardless of clinical and genetic parameters. CHI3L1 concentrations were significantly higher at late disease stages. | [79] |
Neuroinflammatory diseases | ||||
 MS | CSF | Meta-analysis | CSF CHI3L1 is correlated with the pathological course of MS, particularly with disease progression mechanisms, and helps distinguish PPMS from RRMS. | [68] |
 NMO | CSF and serum | CSF and serum samples from 29 patients with NMO and 21 age- and sex-matched controls were analyzed. | Compared to controls, CSF CHI3L1 levels were notably elevated in patients with NMO and showed a positive correlation with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores. | [80] |
 HAD | CSF | A total of 120 HIV-infected individuals were included in the sample: 85 untreated neuroasymptomatic patients, 7 with HIV-associated dementia, and 28 who were on effective ART. Additionally, 39 HIV-negative controls were also included. | CSF CHI3L1 levels were significantly higher in patients with HIV-associated dementia compared to all other groups. Additionally, these levels were elevated in untreated neuroasymptomatic individuals with a CD4 count below 350, compared to the control group. | [81] |