OBJECTIVETo assess the value of chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1) alone or in combination with other biomarkers in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

METHODSSerum samples were collected from 70 patients with pancreatic cancer and 31 healthy subjects and the levels of CHI3L1, CA199, C3, C4, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) in serum were detected.

RESULTSThe serum samples from pancreatic cancer patients showed significantly higher CHI3L1, CA199, C3, C4, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels than those from healthy subjects (P<0.05). In patients with pancreatic cancer, serum CHI3L1 level was significantly correlated with the administration of anti-cancer therapy (P<0.05), but not with gender, age, metastasis or other clinicopathological parameters (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that serum CHI3L1, CA199, C3, C4, HDL-C, and LDL-C all had diagnostic value for pancreatic cancer. Multivariate analysis suggested that the combined detection model of CHI3L1, CA199, C3, and HDL-C (AUC=0.964) had a greater diagnostic value than CA199 (AUC=0.896) alone and the combined detection model consisting of CA199, C3, and HDL-C (AUC=0.923; P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSerum levels of CHI3L1, CA199, C3, C4, HDL-C, and LDL-C all have diagnostic value for pancreatic cancer, and the combined model consisting of CHI3L1, CA199, C3, and HDL-C have greater diagnostic efficacy than the other biomarkers either alone or in combination.