Chitinase-3-like protein 1: reference interval of a healthy population and its diagnostic value for liver fibrosis in Pakistan

Background and Objective: Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is an upcoming biomarker for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis. The reference intervals (RIs) for CHI3L1 have not been established in the Pakistani population. Thus, this study aimed to determine the RIs in our population and the cut-off value for diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 408 participants (202 healthy and 206 diagnosed liver fibrosis cases) were recruited. Serum CHI3L1 level was measured on CHI3L1 kits (Proprium Biotech Co. Ltd) by manual enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The RIs were estimated by percentile and working normal method. Results: The distribution of CHI3L1 values showed no remarkable variation with gender and age. The 95% RI of CHI3L1 was 12.80-81.80 ng/ ml in healthy Pakistani subjects and the cut-off for the diagnosis was 102.12 ng/ml in hepatic fibrosis cases. Conclusion: The RIs in healthy adults and the cut-off for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis of serum CHI3L1 were determined in a selective adult Pakistani population. This will be a useful reference for further local and international studies.