CHI3L1 and hepatitis B virus infection: In a previous study involving 168 patients (non-hepatitis B, n = 79 patients; hepatitis B, n = 89 patients), we observed that in both patients with CHB and those without, there was a statistically significant difference in serum CHI3L1 levels between the significant and non-significant hepatic fibrosis group (Tables 2, 3; Supplementary material).