Serum Endocan Concentrations Research Articles

Correlation of Serum Endocan Level With Apoptosis Indicators and Severity of Atherosclerotic Lesions of Coronary Arteries in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease.

Aim To study the relationship of blood serum concentration of endocan with indexes of apoptosis and clinical and instrumental characteristics of patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).Material and methods The study included 176 subjects (105 men and 71 women). 150 of them were diagnosed with IHD and 26 were healthy volunteers. Anthropometric measurements, coronary angiography, echocardiography, duplex ultrasound scanning of extracranial parts of the brachiocephalic arteries were performed for all patients. Concentrations of endocan (ng / ml), glucose (mmol / l), and apoptotic markers Bcl-2 (ng / ml), Bax (ng / ml), Bcl-2 / Bax, TRAIL (pg / ml), and p53 (ng / ml) were measured in blood serum. Patients were divided into groups based on their SYNTAX scores: group 1 with moderate atherosclerotic lesions of the coronary arteries (CA) (score < 22, 78 patients); group 2 with severe CA atherosclerosis (score 23-32, 37 patients); and group 3 with extremely severe CA lesions (score >33, 35 patients). The control group consisted of healthy volunteers (26 subjects). All groups were age- and sex-matched. Differences were considered statistically significant at p<0.05.Results A correlation was found between endocan concentration and IHD severity (r=0.32, p<0.001). In group 1, the median endocan concentration was 14.57 ng / ml [8.21; 23.66], in group 2, 19.34 ng / ml [8.425; 26.645], in group 3, 32.13 ng / ml [18.2; 39.12], and in the control group, 6.92 ng / ml [4.62; 9.18]. Correlations of varying strength and significance were observed between the endocan concentration and a number of clinical and instrumental characteristics. Endocan concentrations significantly differed in groups of patients with multifocal atherosclerosis (p<0.01), angina pectoris (p<0.01), a history of myocardial infarction (p<0.001), and obesity (p<0.05) from patients without these signs. Also, a correlation was found between serum endocan concentration and apoptotic markers: TRAIL (r= -0.448, p<0.001); BCL-2 (r= -0.552, p<0.001), Bax (r= -0.519, p<0.001), Bcl-2 / Bax (r= -0.576, p<0.001) and p53 (r= -0.520, p <0.001).Conclusion The study demonstrated a potential role of endocan as a promising biomarker for risk stratification, prognosis and therapeutic monitoring of IHD patients.

Investigation of maternal serum endocan concentrations in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus; a prospective case-control study

Objective We aimed to investigate the maternal serum endocan concentrations in pregnant women diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) and to investigate the usability of serum endocan in GDM screening. Methods This prospective case-control study was conducted with 160 pregnant women. The GDM group consisted of 80 pregnant women who had 75 g OGTT between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy and were diagnosed with GDM. The control group consisted of 80 healthy pregnant women who were matched with the GDM group in terms of age and body mass index (BMI) and had a normal 75 g OGTT result. Serum endocan concentrations were evaluated between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation in all participants and the groups were compared in terms of serum endocan concentrations. Results The median maternal serum endocan concentration was found to be significantly higher in the GDM group than in the control group (498 ng/L, and 467 ng/L, respectively, p = 0.024). In the subgroup analysis according to the BMI of the participants, the highest median maternal serum endocan concentration (513 ng/L) was found in the overweight GDM group. ROC analysis was performed to determine the value of maternal serum endocan concentration in predicting GDM. AUC analysis of maternal serum endocan for estimation of GDM was 0.603 (p = 0.024, 95% CI = 0.515 − 0.691). The optimal threshold value for maternal serum endocan concentration was determined as 376 ng/L with 88.75% sensitivity and 32.5% specificity. Conclusion Although serum endocan does not have high enough specificity to be used as an alternative to OGTT in GDM screening between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation, we think that it is somehow involved in the pathogenesis of GDM. The contribution of placental endocan expression to the serum concentration and the effect of blood glucose regulation on serum endocan concentration in GDM remain to be investigated.

Is maternal serum endocan level a novel marker in gestational diabetes mellitus?

To determine whether there was a significant difference between serum endocan levels of pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). A total of 90 pregnant women, 45 with gestational diabetes and 45 healthy pregnant women, between 24 and 28 gestational weeks, were included in this prospective case-control study. The pregnant women were screened for gestational diabetes using a two-step protocol. Serum endocan levels were measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Serum endocan level was significantly higher in the GDM group than in healthy controls (168.46 ± 160.6 vs. 105.66 ± 26.52 pg/mL, respectively; p < 0.001). Serum endocan concentrations were positively correlated with the results of 50 g oral glucose challenge test (GCT) (p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that endocan with a cut-off point of 133.9 ng/dL indicated women with GDM with a sensitivity of 55.6% and specificity of 88.9% (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.737, 95% CI: 0.634-0.824). The overall differential performance of endocan according to the GDM groups was determined as 73.7% (p < 0.001). Maternal serum endocan level was positively correlated with fasting glucose, postprandial glucose, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (p < 0.001). Elevated endocan levels in gestational diabetes were correlated with fasting glucose, postprandial glucose, HbA1c, and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results. Despite the low sensitivity of 55.6% and the high specificity of 88.9%, we found a high differential performance rate indicating that serum endocan levels were important for the pathophysiology of GDM and should be investigated for the possibility of being a novel marker in larger populations.

MO745: Serum Endocan as a Risk Factor for Aortic Stiffness in Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Endocan is secreted by the activated endothelium and plays a central role in inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, angiogenesis and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, it is associated with cardiovascular disease. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the relationship between serum endocan levels and carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD). METHOD Blood samples and baseline characteristics were collected from 122 HD patients. Serum endocan concentrations were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Aortic stiffness was defined as a cfPWV of more than 10 m/s. RESULTS Of the 122 HD patients, aortic stiffness was diagnosed in 53 (43.4%), and higher percentages of diabetes (P &amp;lt; 0.001) and hypertension (P = 0.030) were of older age (P = 0.007) and had higher systolic blood pressure (P = 0.011) and endocan levels (P &amp;lt; 0.001) in those with aortic stiffness than those without. After adjusting for factors significantly associated with aortic stiffness by multivariate logistic regression analysis, serum endocan [odds ratio (OR) 1.566, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.224–2.002; P &amp;lt; 0.001], age (OR 1.040, 95% CI 1.001–1.080; P = 0.045), and diabetes (OR 4.067, 95% CI 1.532–10.798; P = 0.005) were independently associated with aortic stiffness in patients with chronic HD. Multivariable forward stepwise linear regression analysis also confirmed that the logarithmically transformed endocan level (β =0.405, adjusted R2 change = 0.152; P &amp;lt; 0.001) was an independent predictor of cfPWV values. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve predicting aortic stiffness by serum endocan level was 0.713 (95% CI 0.620–0.806; P &amp;lt; 0.001). CONCLUSION Serum endocan level positively correlates with cfPWV and is also an independent predictor of aortic stiffness in maintenance HD patients.

Endocan: A Biomarker for Hepatosteatosis in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome.

Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases, which has recently been mentioned as an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Objectives Endocan is a novel molecule of endothelial dysfunction. We aimed to evaluate the associations of serum endocan levels with the hepatic steatosis index (HSI), fatty liver index (FLI), and degrees of hepatosteatosis in patients with metabolic syndrome with NAFLD. Design and Setting. This cross-sectional prospective study was performed in the outpatient clinic of an internal medicine department. Methods The study included 40 patients with metabolic syndrome with NAFLD as noted using hepatic ultrasound and 20 healthy controls. Secondary causes of fatty liver were excluded. FLI and HSI calculations were recorded. Serum endocan level values were obtained after overnight fasting. Results Higher values of HSI and FLI were found in the NAFLD groups than in the control groups (p < 0.001). Five (12.5%) of 20 patients with liver steatosis had grade 1 liver steatosis, 15 (37.5%) patients had grade 2 liver steatosis, and 20 (50%) patients had grade 3 liver steatosis. Serum endocan levels were lower in patients with NAFLD compared with the healthy controls (146.56 ± 133.29 pg/mL vs. 433.71 ± 298.01 pg/mL, p < 0.001). ROC curve analysis suggested that the optimum endocan value cutoff point for NAFLD was 122.583 pg/mL (sensitivity: 71.79%, specificity: 90%, PPV: 93.3%, and NPV: 62.1%). Conclusion Serum endocan concentrations are low in patients with NAFLD, and the optimum cutoff point is 122.583 pg/mL. HSI and FLI were higher in patients with NAFLD; however, there was no correlation with serum endocan.

Serum Endocan Levels Predict Drug-Eluting Stent Restenosis in Patients with Stable Angina Pectoris.

Endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM-1 or endocan) is an immunoinflammatory marker strongly associated with inflammation, vascular endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. We explored the relationship between serum endocan concentrations and coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR). Fifty consecutive patients with ISR and 50 control subjects were included in this study. Clinical data and angiographic characteristics were collected. Serum endocan concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All included patients were divided into four quartiles based on their concentrations of endocan: quartile 1 (0.62-1.31 ng/mL), quartile 2 (1.33-1.74 ng/mL), quartile 3 (1.75-2.77 ng/mL) and quartile 4 (2.78-4.24 ng/mL). The rates of ISR were 16%, 24%, 68%, and 92%, respectively. The patients in quartile 4 had significantly higher rates of ISR than the other groups (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that endocan concentration [odds ratio = 8.65, 95% confidence interval 3.56-20.94; p < 0.001] was an independent predictor of ISR. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to explore the relationship between endocan and ISR. Using a cutoff value of 1.625 ng/mL, endocan predicted ISR with a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 78%. Our findings suggest that plasma endocan levels may be a novel biomarker of endothelial dysfunction in patients with ISR.

Endocan - a potential diagnostic marker for early onset sepsis in neonates.

Neonatal early onset sepsis assessment is based on the history of pregnancy and delivery and nonspecific clinical signs. None of the biomarkers currently in use for clinical practice has adequate prognostic value, so it is not possible to clearly distinguish neonates with culture-proven sepsis from those with only risk factors or clinical suspicion. Endocan is an endothelial mediator involved in the inflammatory response that is present in low concentrations in the serum of healthy subjects, and in much higher concentrations in patients with SIRS and septic shock. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of serum endocan serum levels as a biomarker for the diagnosis of neonatal early onset sepsis (EOS). Serum endocan concentration was measured in newborns with clinical suspicion of EOS admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on day 1, 3 and 7. Serum endocan levels were significantly increased in septic compared to non-septic neonates in the early stages of sepsis (2.43 ± 0.95 vs. 1.77 ± 0.57, p = 0.004), continued to rise up to 72 hours from onset and then decreased by the seventh day under treatment. These results suggest a potential role for endocan as an early marker for diagnosis and follow-up in neonatal EOS. Studies on a larger number of cases are needed in order to establish the practical utility of this molecule as a diagnostic tool for clinical practice.

Maternal serum endocan concentrations are elevated in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Objectives To evaluate the maternal serum endocan levels in pregnant women complicated by preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and to compare the results with healthy pregnancies. Methods This cohort study included 31 pregnant women with PPROM and 34 gestational age-matched healthy subjects in the third trimester of pregnancy. The blood for analysis was obtained on the day of diagnosis and serum endocan levels were measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The pregnant women were observed until the delivery and perinatal data were noted. Results No significant differences regarding maternal age, body mass index, gravidity, parity and gestational age at sampling were observed (P > 0.05). Mean serum endocan level was significantly higher in the PPROM group than in healthy controls (1490 ± 632 pg/mL vs. 972 ± 586 pg/mL, respectively; P: 0.001). Serum endocan concentration was positively correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP) (r = 0.754, P < 0.001) and white blood cells count (WBC) (r = 0.712, P:0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that endocan with a cut-off point of 1198 ng/dL indicated women with PPROM with sensitivity of 64.5% and specificity of 35.1% (area under curve 0.731, confidence interval 0.61-0.85). Conclusion Serum endocan level was significantly elevated in the PPROM patients than in healthy controls. The endocan level may be a useful indicator of endothelial dysfunction/inflammation in PPROM cases.

Maternal Serum Endocan Concentration in Pregnancies Complicated by Intrauterine Growth Restriction.

Endocan plays a role in the development of vascular tissue in health and disease and is an indicator of endothelial cells activation and angiogenesis. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between maternal endocan serum level and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) as well as ultrasound Doppler flow measurements indicating placental insufficiency. This study included a group of women with IUGR (n = 37) and a group of healthy pregnant women (controls, n = 37). The endocan serum concentrations were assessed using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Every woman underwent an ultrasound examination with Doppler flow measurements of the uterine arteries, umbilical vessels, and fetal middle cerebral artery. We used the cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) to determine placental insufficiency. We found significant differences in median (interquartile) endocan serum level (pg/mL) between study and control groups (464 [374-532] vs 339 [189-496], respectively; P < .001). The endocan serum level correlated neither with umbilical cord blood gases nor with Apgar score. Ultrasound Doppler findings revealed significant differences in middle cerebral artery pulsatility index (PI), umbilical artery PI, CPR, as well as mean uterine arteries PI between IUGR group and controls. In the study group, we found significant correlations between the serum endocan and CPR ( R = 0.56, P < .001) as well as between serum endocan and mean uterine arteries PI ( R = 0.46, P = .006). Endocan is likely involved in the pathogenesis of IUGR in pregnant women and possibly is a useful marker of endothelial dysfunction in these cases.

Serum endocan concentration and its correlation with severity of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

Introduction: Endocan plays a role in the development of vascular tissue in health and disease and is an indicator of endothelial cells activation and angiogenesis.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between endocan serum levels and various types of hypertensive disorders in pregnant women.Patients and methods: We created three study groups (preeclampsia [n = 60], chronic hypertension [n = 39], gestational hypertension [n = 58]) and the control group consisting of 59 healthy pregnant women. The endocan serum concentration was assessed using commercially available ELISA kit.Results: There were no statistically significant differences in endocan serum levels (pg/mL) in each study group compared to controls. The multiple regression did not reveal significant differences between endocan levels in each study group after adjustment for prepregnancy BMI. We did not find any significant correlations between the endocan serum level and patients’ age, gestational age (GA) at sample collection, prepregnancy BMI, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and 24-hour urinary protein excretion in each analyzed group. Moreover, in the preeclamptic participants, we did not observe a significant relationship between the endocan concentration and the features indicating the severity of the disease other than elevated blood pressure. There were no differences in endocan serum level in preeclampsia subgroups: early-onset versus late-onset and mild versus severe preeclampsia.Conclusions: Endocan is not involved in the pathogenesis of hypertensive disorders in pregnant women and could not be regarded as a marker of endothelial dysfunction in these cases.

Postoperative serum levels of Endocan are associated with the duration of norepinephrine support after coronary artery bypass surgery

BackgroundCardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with a systemic inflammatory response and an endothelial dysfunction, whose qualitative assessment appears to be a major issue. Endocan (ESM-1, endothelial cell specific molecule-1) is a protein preferentially expressed by the endothelium and previously associated with prognosis of septic shock or acute respiratory distress syndrome. In this pilot study, we investigated the kinetic of Endocan in planned coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery with CPB. Patients and methodsWe conducted an observational, prospective, mono centre study. All adult patients with left systolic ejection fraction>50%, undergoing planned on-pump CABG, were screened for inclusion. A written informed consent was obtained. Measurements and main results Serum Endocan concentrations were respectively 2.4 [2.1–3.0] ng. mL−1, 10.4 [7.4–13.9] ng.mL−1, 5.7 [4.4–8.2] ng.mL−1, and 5.4 [4.1–7.5] ng.mL−1 at day 0, day 1, day 3 and day 5. Endocan concentrations increased at day 1, day 3, and day 5 in comparison with preoperative concentration (P<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, age (P=0.002), history of acute coronary syndrome (P=0.024) and the catecholamine-free days at day 28 (P=0.007) were associated to the increase of perioperative Endocan concentrations. ConclusionSerum Endocan concentration increases after CABG surgery with CPB until day 1. The norepinephrine support increases the risk of Endocan release, suggesting a relationship between the kinetic of Endocan and the vasoplegic syndrome. At day 3, Endocan concentration decreases slowly but is not normalised at day 5. Further studies should investigate the prognostic value of the magnitude of postoperative Endocan concentration after cardiac surgery.

Investigation of the relation of maternal serum endocan levels to preeclampsia presence and severity

Abstract Background: Endocan was shown to be a possible predictor of vascular endothelium related diseases. Due to this fact we aimed to investigate the role of maternal serum endocan levels in preeclampsia presence and severity. Methods: A total of 70 patients, including 25 normal pregnant women and 45 patients with preeclampsia (consists of 25 mild and 20 severe preeclamptic women), were included in this study. Maternal serum endocan concentrations were measured and compared among groups and subgroups. Results: Levels of endocan were detected statistically higher in the preeclamptic group than the control group. Endocan levels were lower in the severe preclampsia group than the mild preeclampsia group but this was not detected statistically significant. Conclusions: Maternal serum endocan levels can be used as a biomarker for preeclampsia presence.

Assessment of subclinical cardiac damage in chronic plaque psoriasis patients: a case control study

IntroductionEpidemiological studies have suggested that patients with psoriasis are at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Chronic inflammation may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in psoriasis patients. Recent studies have evaluated the expression of plasma endocan and homocysteine levels. Endocan is a marker of vascular endothelial damage, and homocysteine plays a role in the development of atherosclerosis. Plasma endocan and homocysteine levels, as well as echocardiographic parameters, were evaluated in patients with psoriasis to assess cardiovascular disease risk.Material and methodsThis was a prospective cohort analysis of 40 patients who were diagnosed with psoriasis and 40 healthy controls matched to the patient group according to demographic and biochemical parameters.ResultsSerum endocan and homocysteine concentrations were significantly higher in the psoriasis group than the control group (p < 0.001). Serum endocan concentrations correlated positively with disease duration (p < 0.001; r = 0.725). The Tei index (myocardial performance) was elevated in psoriasis patients (p < 0.001). Additionally, the E/A (mitral valve early diastolic peak flow velocity/mitral valve late diastolic peak flow velocity) and E/Em (early diastolic myocardial velocity) ratios were reduced in psoriasis patients (p < 0.001). Parameters indicative of left ventricular asynchrony were elevated significantly in the psoriasis group versus the control group (p < 0.001).ConclusionsWe observed a substantial increase in serum endocan and homocysteine concentrations, and significant differences in key parameters of cardiac function, in psoriasis patients relative to controls. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that subclinical cardiac damage is increased in patients with psoriasis and that psoriasis itself may be a cardiovascular risk factor.

Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Haematological and Biochemical Parameters, and Serum Endocan Levels in Patients with Lichen Planus

Background and Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate cardiovascular risk factors, haematological and biochemical parameters, and serum endocan concentrations in lichen planus (LP) patients. Methods: This study was conducted with 86 cases, including 43 LP patients and 43 healthy controls. Cardiovascular risk factors, haematological and biochemical parameters, and endocan levels were evaluated. Results: The serum endocan concentrations of LP patients were not significantly different from those of the healthy controls (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences in the serum endocan levels according to classification by cardiovascular risk factors and smoking history (p > 0.05). In the LP group, white blood cell count, platelet distribution width and monocyte count/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios were significantly higher when compared to the healthy controls (p < 0.05). The LP group had a lower mean platelet volume than the healthy controls (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Serum endocan levels did not change significantly in patients with LP, and there were significant differences in haematological and biochemical parameters.

Elevated endocan concentration is associated with coronary slow flow

We sought to assess whether serum endocan concentration is correlated with coronary slow flow (CSF). We measured serum endocan concentration in 93 patients with CSF and in 206 controls. Serum endocan concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The presence of CSF was assessed by thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count (TFC) method. We demonstrated that serum endocan concentration is significantly higher in CSF patients (n = 93) than that in controls (n = 206) (1.03 [range 0.63–1.33] vs. 0.80 [range 0.52–1.09] ng/mL, p = 0.002). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that serum endocan concentration was independently associated with the presence of CSF (odds ratio 1.774, 95% confidence interval 1.064–2.958; p = 0.028). Serum endocan concentration was positively correlated with mean-TFC in CSF patients (r = 0.289, p = 0.005). These results revealed that endocan might be a useful biomarker for predicting the presence and severity of CSF. Therapeutic interventions by down-regulating endocan to delay the progressive process of CSF warrants further investigations.

Serum levels of endocan correlate with the presence and severity of pre-eclampsia

Background: Endocan, a cysteine-rich dermatan sulfate proteoglycan expressed by endothelial cells, is seemed to be a new biomarker for endothelial dysfunction. Pre-eclampsia (PE) is characterized by the new onset of hypertension, proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation, placental vascular remodeling, systemic vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of PE and its severity with serum endocan levels. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed. Serum was collected from women with PE and normotensive controls. Serum endocan and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) concentrations were measured by a specific enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Patients with PE had significantly higher median (interquartile range) endocan and mean TNF-α concentrations than controls [20.04 (12.26) ng/mL vs 15.55 (6.19) ng/mL, p < 0.001 for endocan; 26.49 ± 12.14 pg/mL vs 14.62 ± 5.61 pg/mL, p < 0.001 for TNF-α; respectively]. Serum endocan concentrations were positively correlated with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.618, p < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.608, p < 0.001), the amount of 24-h proteinuria (r = 0.786, p < 0.001) and TNF-α (r = 0.474, p < 0.001) in women with PE. In subgroup analysis, patients with severe PE had significantly higher endocan concentrations than those with mild PE. Receiver operating characteristic analysis of endocan was used to identify the patients with PE and also discriminating between mild and severe PE. Conclusion: Serum endocan concentrations were significantly elevated in women with PE versus normotensive controls, and concentrations seem to be associated with the severity of the disease.

Serum endocan concentration in women with pre-eclampsia.

To investigate serum endocan levels in pregnant subjects with and without pre-eclampsia. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 49 pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and 32 healthy pregnant women matched for gestational age. Maternal levels of serum endocan were measured with the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Mean endocan levels were not significantly different among groups (10.7 ± 4.5 vs. 10.3 ± 3.2 ng/mL, p 0.763). Mean uterine artery PI and RI were higher in the pre-eclampsia group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). Mean endocan levels were negatively correlated with BMI at the time of blood sampling (r = -0.247, p = 0.044). There was no correlations between mean endocan levels and all the others parameters. These findings suggest that the role of endocan in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia was not related to pre-eclampsia; hence, further studies are needed to investigate the role of endocan in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.

Endocan measurement for the postmortem diagnosis of sepsis

The vascular endothelium has been shown to play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of sepsis through the expression of surface proteins and secretion of soluble mediators. Endocan (endothelial cell-specific molecule-1), a 50-kDa dermatan sulfate proteoglycan, is expressed by endothelial cells in lung and kidney and can be detected at low levels in the serum of healthy subjects. Increased concentrations were described in patients with sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock compared to healthy individuals, with serum concentrations related to the severity of illness. In the present study, we investigated endocan, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein in postmortem serum from femoral blood in a series of sepsis-related fatalities and control individuals who underwent medicolegal investigations. Endocan was also measured in pericardial fluid. Two study groups were prospectively formed, a sepsis-related fatalities group and a control group. The sepsis-related fatalities group consisted of sixteen forensic autopsy cases with documented clinical diagnosis of sepsis in vivo. The control group consisted of sixteen forensic autopsy cases with various noninfectious causes of death. Postmortem serum endocan concentrations were significantly higher in the sepsis group, with values ranging from 0.519 ng/ml to 6.756 ng/ml. In the control group, endocan levels were undetectable in eleven out of sixteen cases. The results of the data analysis revealed similar endocan concentrations in the pericardial fluid of both studied groups. Endocan can be considered a suitable biological parameter for the detection of sepsis-related deaths in forensic pathology routine.