Increased Levels of YKL-40 and Interleukin 6 in Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis and Secondary Diabetes

Objectives: Circulating levels of YKL-40 and interleukin 6 (IL-6) are elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes. We aimed to evaluate YKL-40 levels in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) with and without secondary diabetes mellitus (DM) to investigate whether elevated plasma YKL-40 could play a primary role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes or rather represent a consequence of the diabetic state. Methods: Plasma levels of YKL-40 and IL-6 were measured during an oral glucose tolerance test in 8 patients with CP and secondary DM, 8 patients with CP and normal glucose tolerance (NGT), and 8 healthy control subjects (CTRLs). Results: Plasma YKL-40 and IL-6 were significantly higher in patients with CP and secondary DM (YKL-40, mean [ 95% confidence interval], 113 [ 60Y215 ng/mL]; IL-6, 4.6 [ 2.3Y9.1 pg/mL]) compared to patients with CP and NGT (YKL-40, 42 [ 28Y63 ng/mL]; IL-6, 1.4 [ 0.8Y2.4 pg/mL]) and healthy control subjects (YKL-40, 46 [ 31Y69 ng/mL]; IL-6, 1.4 [ 0.8Y2.4 pg/mL]). Conclusions: Patients with CP and secondary DM have elevated levels of YKL-40 and IL-6 compared to CP patients with NGT and healthy subjects, suggesting that YKL-40 is not a primary mediator of DM but a consequence of the diabetic state.