Serum YKL-40 levels as a novel marker of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome

Purpose To evaluate serum levels of YKL-40 in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) in comparison with those of age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. Methods Forty patients with PEX (PEX group) and 40 age- and sex-matched control subjects (control group) were enrolled in the study. An enzyme immunoassay method using the commercially available test MicroVue YKL-40 was used to measure serum YKL-40 concentration. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures, serum levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triglycerides were also examined. Results The mean age was 54.4±7.6 (ranging 41–65) years in each group. The mean serum YKL-40 level of the PEX group was significantly higher than that of the control group ( P