Chitinases as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons, and there is currently a lack of reliable diagnostic biomarkers.

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate CHIT1, CHI3L1, and CHI3L2 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or blood and their diagnostic potential in ALS patients.

A systematic, comprehensive search was performed of peer-reviewed English-language articles published before April 1, 2023, in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science.

After a thorough screening, 13 primary articles were included, and their chitinases-related data were extracted for systematic review and meta-analysis.

In ALS patients, the CSF CHIT1 levels were significantly elevated compared to controls with healthy control (HC) (SMD, 1.92; 95% CI, 0.78 – 3.06; P  < 0.001).

CHIT1 levels were elevated in the CSF of ALS patients compared to other neurodegenerative diseases (ONDS) control (SMD, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.22 – 1.27; P  < 0.001) and exhibited an even more substantial increase when compared to ALS-mimicking diseases (AMDS) (SMD, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.35 – 1.94, P  < 0.001).

Similarly, the CSF CHI3L1 levels were significantly higher in ALS patients compared to HC (SMD, 3.16; 95% CI, 1.26 – 5.06, P  < 0.001).

CHI3L1 levels were elevated in the CSF of ALS patients compared to ONDS (SMD, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.32 – 1.19; P = 0.017) and exhibited a more pronounced increase when compared to AMDS (SMD, 1.92; 95% CI, 0.41 – 3.42; P  < 0.001).

The levels of CSF chitinases in the ALS patients showed a significant increase, supporting the role of CSF chitinases as diagnostic biomarkers for ALS.