Insights into TIMP-1, M-CSF, and YKL-40 Serum Biomarkers in Common Tropical Hepatic Diseases Among the Egyptian population

Background: Noninvasive predictive options for circulatory profibrotic biomarkers are increasingly explored in tropical hepatic diseases. This work comparatively assessed tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP), Chitinase-3-Like-Protein-1 (YKL-40), and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) sera levels in non-cirrhotic patients. Method: A case-control study of 80 patients with early-stage hepatic diseases, involved schistosomiasis, hydatidosis, HCV and HBV infected groups (each = 20) with 20 healthy controls. Serum TIMP-1, M-CSF, and YKL-40 levels were assessed using the ELISA technique. Results: Compared to control, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) showed significant elevatation in all groups (p < 0.01), while aspartate aminotranferase (AST) was significantly elevated in HBV and HCV groups (p < 0.001). Serum TIMP-1 showed significant elevations in all groups (p≤ 0.001). Serum YKL-40 revealed significant elevation in HCV group (p < 0.001). M-CSF levels were significantly higher in each group (p = 0.01 for hydatidosis, 0.002 for HBV and < 0.001 for both HCV and schistosomiasis). Using pairwise comparisons, TIMP-1 levels were significantly higher in HBV group vs. hydatid and schistosomiasis groups (p = 0.003, p < 0.001, respectively) and in HCV vs. hydatid and schistosomiasis groups (p < 0.05). The HCV-positive group was higher than HBV group in YKL-40 and M-CSF levels (both: p=0.03). Conclusion: The increased TIMP-1, YKL-40, and M-CSF sera levels and their significant correlation with ALT may suggest their predictive roles in hepatic fibrogenesis since the early chronic stage of these diseases. HCV recorded the highest serum levels of fibrotic and liver enzymes biomarkers. Therapeutic trials targeting TIMP-1 and M-CSF are recommended.