Compared to individuals with both low CRP (<1.7 mg l−1) and YKL-40 (<154 μg l−1), individuals with high YKL-40 but low CRP had an HR of gastrointestinal cancer of 3.36 (1.70–6.64), whereas individuals with high CRP but low YKL-40 had an HR of lung cancer of 2.19 (1.24–3.87). Here, CHI3L1 is linked to lung carcinoma.