The diagnostic value of serum YKL-40 in endometrial cancer: a meta-analysis

Background Serum YKL-40 is a promising non-invasive biomarker for the early diagnosis of endometrial cancer (EC), but its value is disputed. Objective To investigate the serum YKL-40 in the early diagnostic value of EC. Methods Databases were systematically searched again before April 2021 and 14 studies were finally included in this meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, negative likelihood ratio (NLR), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve analyses were assessed. This meta-analysis investigated the source of heterogeneity using sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and meta-regression. Results Databases were systematically searched again before April 2021 and 14 studies were finally included in this meta-analysis. First, the SROC curve presented an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.853 (SE = 0.0213) for YKL-40 alone and an AUC of 0.946 (SE = 0.0268) for YKL-40 combined with other biomarkers. Second, diagnostic types might be related to the diagnostic accuracy and is a significant source of heterogeneity (P = 0.035). Conclusion Serum YKL-40 helped diagnose EC, and its combination with other biomarkers was better than itself alone.