| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>YKL-40, a proposed marker of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, is associated with atherosclerosis and an increased cardiovascular mortality in the general population. However, the relationship between YKL-40 and arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients has not been adequately assessed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The relationship between serum levels of YKL-40 and arterial stiffness was evaluated in 93 essential hypertensive subjects and 80 normal subjects. Essential hypertensive subjects were divided into two groups based upon urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR): nonmicroalbuminuric group, (ACR <30 mg/g, <it>n</it> = 50) and microalbuminuric group (ACR ≥30 mg/g, <it>n</it> = 43). Large artery wall stiffness was assessed by measuring femoral arterial stiffness and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV). Serum levels of YKL-40 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study demonstrated that YKL-40,cf-PWV and femoral arterial stiffness were increased significantly (<it>P</it><0.05) in the hypertensive group compared with normal controls. These measurements were also increased significantly ( <it>P</it><0.05) in the microalbuminuric group compared with the nonmicroalbuminuric group. YKL-40 was positively correlated with cf-PWV( <it>r</it> = 0.44, <it>P</it> = 0.000) and femoral arterial stiffness ( <it>r</it> = 0.42, <it>P</it> =0.001). Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis showed that YKL-40 was the impact factor of arterial stiffness ( <it>P</it><0.05).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>YKL-40 levels are elevated in essential hypertension subjects with an independent association between increasing YKL-40 levels and increasing arterial stiffness. The study suggests it played a positive role of YKL-40 in the progressing vascular complications in patients with essential hypertension.</p>
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