⚡ Quick Summary
This study investigates YKL-40 as a potential early biomarker for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation (LT). The findings suggest that elevated YKL-40 levels correlate with advanced liver disease and poorer outcomes, highlighting its role in personalized medicine for high-risk patients.
🔍 Key Details
- 📊 Recurrence Rates: 8% to 20% globally post-LT
- 🧬 Current Biomarkers: Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP)
- 🔬 New Biomarker: YKL-40, a glycoprotein linked to liver pathology
- ⚙️ Challenges: Assay standardization and prospective validation needed
🔑 Key Takeaways
- 🔍 YKL-40 shows promise as a specific biomarker for liver-related diseases.
- 📈 Elevated levels of YKL-40 are associated with advanced liver disease and tumor progression.
- 🧩 Integration of YKL-40 with existing biomarkers like AFP and DCP could enhance predictive accuracy.
- 🤖 Future research should focus on multicenter studies and the role of AI in predictive models.
- 🌍 Potential impact on personalized management strategies for high-risk LT recipients.
📚 Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, particularly among patients with chronic liver disease. The challenge of HCC recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) complicates patient management, as current biomarkers lack the specificity needed for effective risk stratification. This study aims to explore the potential of YKL-40 as a more reliable biomarker for early detection and personalized treatment strategies.
🗒️ Study
The authors synthesized clinical and mechanistic evidence to evaluate the predictive utility of YKL-40 in post-LT care. They reviewed existing literature and clinical data to assess the relationship between YKL-40 levels and patient outcomes, particularly focusing on its specificity for liver-related pathologies.
📈 Results
Preliminary findings indicate that elevated serum levels of YKL-40 are significantly associated with advanced liver disease and poorer post-LT outcomes. While YKL-40 demonstrates specificity for liver-related conditions, challenges such as assay standardization and the need for prospective validation remain. The integration of YKL-40 into multi-biomarker panels could enhance predictive accuracy for HCC recurrence.
🌍 Impact and Implications
The integration of YKL-40 into clinical practice could transform post-LT care by enabling more precise risk stratification and personalized management of patients at high risk for HCC recurrence. This advancement could lead to improved patient outcomes and a more tailored approach to therapy, ultimately reshaping the landscape of liver transplantation and cancer management.
🔮 Conclusion
This study highlights the transformative potential of YKL-40 in the realm of personalized translational medicine. By addressing the limitations of current biomarkers, YKL-40 could pave the way for better outcomes in high-risk liver transplant recipients. Continued research and validation are essential to fully realize its clinical utility and integrate it into routine practice.
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Personalized translational medicine: Investigating YKL-40 as early biomarker for clinical risk stratification in hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence post-liver transplantation.
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) presents a significant challenge, with recurrence rates ranging from 8% to 20% globally. Current biomarkers, such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP), lack specificity, limiting their utility in risk stratification. YKL-40, a glycoprotein involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, hepatic stellate cell activation, and immune modulation, has emerged as a promising biomarker for post-LT surveillance. Elevated serum levels of YKL-40 are associated with advanced liver disease, tumor progression, and poorer post-LT outcomes, highlighting its potential to address gaps in early detection and personalized management of HCC recurrence. This manuscript synthesizes clinical and mechanistic evidence to evaluate YKL-40’s predictive utility in post-LT care. While preliminary findings demonstrate its specificity for liver-related pathologies, challenges remain, including assay standardization, lack of prospective validation, and the need to distinguish between malignant and non-malignant causes of elevated levels. Integrating YKL-40 into multi-biomarker panels with AFP and DCP could enhance predictive accuracy and enable tailored therapeutic strategies. Future research should focus on multicenter studies to validate YKL-40’s clinical utility, address confounding factors like graft rejection and systemic inflammation, and explore its role in predictive models driven by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. YKL-40 holds transformative potential in reshaping post-LT care through precision medicine, providing a pathway for better outcomes and improved management of high-risk LT recipients.
Author: [‘Lulic I’, ‘Lulic D’, ‘Pavicic Saric J’, ‘Bacak Kocman I’, ‘Rogic D’]
Journal: World J Transplant
Citation: Lulic I, et al. Personalized translational medicine: Investigating YKL-40 as early biomarker for clinical risk stratification in hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence post-liver transplantation. Personalized translational medicine: Investigating YKL-40 as early biomarker for clinical risk stratification in hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence post-liver transplantation. 2025; 15:103036. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v15.i2.103036