TY - JOUR A2 - Huang, Yi-Chia AU - Musumeci, Maria AU - Caruso, Vincenzo AU - Medulla, Emilia AU - Torrisi, Venerando AU - Migale, Roberta AU - Angeletti, Silvia AU - Musumeci, Salvatore PY - 2014 DA - 2014/04/08 TI - Serum YKL-40 Levels and Chitotriosidase Activity in Patients with Beta-Thalassemia Major SP - 965971 VL - 2014 AB - Background. YKL-40 association with human disease has been the object of many years of investigation. β-thalassemia patients are affected by hepatic siderosis, which determines a fibrotic process and tissue remodelling. Chitotriosidase has been found to be increased in thalassemic patients returning to normal in patients submitted to bone marrow transplantation. YKL-40 is associated with macrophage activation in liver and in other tissues. The aim of the study was to analyse the level of serum YKL-40 and plasma chitotriosidase activity of patients with beta-thalassemia to assess whether their expression correlates with liver disease and degree of liver siderosis. Methods. Expression of YKL-40 and chitotriosidase as a marker of inflammation in 69 thalassemic patients were evaluated. We sought to investigate whether these two chitinases could be considered as a significant biomarker to evaluate therapy effectiveness. Results. Surprisingly we found normal value of YKL-40. We, also, analysed chitotriosidase activity in the same patients that was slightly increased as a consequence of macrophage activation. Conclusions. These data would suggest a good treatment for these patients. SN - 0278-0240 UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/965971 DO - 10.1155/2014/965971 JF - Disease Markers PB - Hindawi Publishing Corporation KW - ER -