AIM:To assess blood chitinase 3-like 1 (CHi3L1) levels for 2 mo after minimally invasive colorectal resection (MICR) for colorectal cancer (CRC).
METHODS: CRC patients in an Institutional ReviewBoard approved data/plasma bank who underwent elective MICR for whom preoperative (PreOp), early postoperative (PostOp), and 1 or more late PostOp samples [postoperative day (POD) 7-27] available were included. Plasma CHi3L1 levels (ng/mL) were determined in
RESULTS:PreOp and PostOp plasma sample were available for 80 MICR cancer patients for the study. The median PreOp CHi3L1 level was 56.8 CI: 41.9-78.6 ng/ mL (n = 80). Significantly elevated (P < 0.001) median plasma levels (ng/mL) over PreOp levels were detected on POD1 (667.7 CI: 495.7, 771.7; n = 79), POD 3 (132.6 CI: 95.5, 173.7; n = 76), 136.9; n = 62), 287.4; n = 22), 137.4; n = 20, P = 0.001).No significant difference in plasma levels were noted on POD27-41.CONCLUSION: Plasma CHi3L1 levels were significantly elevated for one month after MICR. Persistently elevated plasma CHi3L1 may support the growth of residual tumor and metastasis.