PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Elena Bargagli
AU  - David Bennett
AU  - Claudia Maggiorelli
AU  - Maria Grazia Pieroni
AU  - Rosa Metella Refini
AU  - Maria Grazia Perari
AU  - Paola Rottoli
TI  - Chitotriosidase: A sensitive biomarker of sarcoidosis
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 4518
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/4518.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/4518.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - Chitotriosidase is a member of family of glycosylhydrolases, enzymes involved in the degradation of chitin and chitin-like substrate, identified in a wide variety of organisms. Increased concentrations of chitotriosidase have been reported in several lysosomal storage diseases and more recently also in sarcoidosis.In this study chitotriosidase concentrations were evaluated in a population of 233 sarcoidosis patients and 70 controls in order to verify enzyme specificity and sensibility and to evaluate chitotriosidase prognostic meaning.Chitotriosidase has been found significantly increased in serum of patients with sarcoidosis than in controls (p< 0.0001). ROC curve analysis revealed: cut-off value of 39.50 nmol/h/ml, sensitivity 89,70% and specifity 90%. The analysis of chitotriosidase in different phenotypic subgroups of patients revealed very high serum enzyme levels in symptomatic patients requiring systemic steroid therapy at onset and after disease relapses.In conclusion as a new potential biomarker of sarcoidosis severity, chitotriosidase resulted sensitive, reproducible and easily detectable in serum.