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Lin et al. Hepatoma Res 2018;4:48 Hepatoma Research
DOI: 10.20517/2394-5079.2018.19

Review Open Access

Chitinase-3-like protein 1 as a predictor for the
progression or regression of liver fibrosis

Biaoyang Lin 1,2,3 , Shengjun Wu , Yunhua Liu , Longgen Liu , Saadiya Mushtaq 7
4
5
6
1 Zhejiang-California International Nanosystems Institute (ZCNI) Proprium Research Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou
310058, Zhejiang Province, China.
2 Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of
Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, China.
3 University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
4 Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310020, Zhejiang Province, China.
5 Department of Liver Diseases, The Second Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650000, Yunnan Province, China.
6 The Third People’s Hospital hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou 213001, Jiangsu Province, China.
7 Virology Department, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Block E-16, New Cob Lane, Javed Sultan Shaheed Colony, Rawalpindi
Cantt, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Correspondence to: Dr. Biaoyang Lin, Zhejiang-California International Nanosystems Institute (ZCNI) Proprium Research
Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, China. E-mail: biaoylin@gmail.com

How to cite this article: Lin B, Wu S, Liu Y, Liu L, Saadiya M. Chitinase 3-like protein 1 as a predictor for the progression or
regression of liver fibrosis. Hepatoma Res 2018;4:48. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2394-5079.2018.19
Received: Mar 12 2018 First Decision: Jun 22 2018 Revised: Jul 18 2018 Accepted: Jul 22 2018 Published: 17 Aug 2018

Science Editor: Guang-Wen Cao Copy Editor: Huan-Liang Wu Production Editor: Cai-Hong Wang

Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a wound-healing response of liver cells to chronic injuries caused by viral infections, including
hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), toxins, and alcohol abuse. The ability to stage diseases for treatment
naïve patients to initiate proper medical procedures and predict the clinical causes of the disease or the treatment
response is important given the increased prevalence of liver fibrosis caused by HBV, HCV and fatty liver diseases.
CHI3L1 (chitinase-3-like protein 1, also known as YKL-40), which belongs to the chitinase family but lacks chitinolytic
activity and is highly expressed in the liver, seems to fulfill this role. CHI3L1 is a non-invasive staging marker for liver
fibrosis caused by HBV, HCV and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as well as a predictor of the clinical causes and
fibrotic changes after treatments. CHI3L1 predicts histological progression of liver fibrosis and fibrosis progression
rate (fibrosis unit/year), rapid fibrosis progression after liver transplantation and response to interferon and recent
direct acting antiviral therapy in chronic HCV patients. CHI3L1 also predicts response to antiviral therapy in chronic
HBV patients.

Keywords: CHI3L1, liver fibrosis, progression, regression, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, treatment response

© The Author(s) 2018. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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