Diagnostic validity of serum YKL-40 as a non-invasive diagnostic marker of oesophageal varices in cirrhotic hepatitis C virus patients

Background Liver cirrhosis is the last phase of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. During the compensated phase, portal pressure is still below the point where varices start to form. On the contrary, decompensated individuals have clinically significant portal hypertension. YKL-40 protein is categorized as an inflammatory protein and is related to various different variables in expressing the severity of hepatic fibrosis, including hepatic venous pressure gradient. The objective of this research was to evaluate the diagnostic validity of serum YKL-40 in cirrhotic hepatitis C virus patients as a predictive non-invasive marker for the diagnosis of oesophageal varices and to compare it to other non-invasive clinical, laboratory, and ultrasonographic parameters, as well as endoscopy with and without treatment modalities. Results The present research was done on 80 participants visiting the Tropical Medicine Department at the Main University Hospital in Alexandria; they were divided into four groups, group I ( n = 20) cirrhotic patients with no oesophageal varices, group II ( n = 20) with small varices, group IIIa ( n = 20) with large varices, and group IIIb same patients of group IIIa but after disappearance of varices by band ligation and medical treatment with carvedilol and group IV as apparently healthy control. YKL-40 in serum was evaluated using ELISA. Serum YKL-40 was statistically significantly higher in all cirrhotic patients than healthy controls ( p =