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. 2024 Mar 6;25(5):3042.
doi: 10.3390/ijms25053042.

Investigation of Serum Endocan Levels in SARS-CoV-2 Patients

Laura Constantin  1   2 , Anca Ungurianu  2 , Anca Streinu-Cercel  1   2 , Oana Săndulescu  1   2 , Victoria Aramă  1   2 , Denisa Margină  2 , Isabela Țârcomnicu  1
Affiliations

Investigation of Serum Endocan Levels in SARS-CoV-2 Patients

Laura Constantin et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Endocan is an endothelial-cell-specific proteoglycan (ESM-1) and has emerged as an endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory marker in recent years. Endocan can be used as a marker of inflammatory endothelial dysfunction in endothelium-dependent disease: cardiovascular disease, sepsis, lung and kidney disease and malignancies. Recent data suggest that endothelial dysfunction is a key mechanism in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Endotheliitis and thrombo-inflammation are associated with severe forms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and endocan is currently under investigation as a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker. The aim of this study was to determine serum endocan levels in patients with COVID-19 to evaluate the correlation between endocan levels and clinical disease diagnosis and prognosis. This study enrolled 56 patients, divided into three groups depending on disease severity: mild (15), moderate (25) and severe (16). The biochemical, demographic, clinical and imagistic data were collected and evaluated in correlation with the endocan levels. Serum endocan levels were significantly higher in the COVID-19 patients compared to the control group; also, endocan concentration correlated with vaccination status. The results revealed significantly elevated serum endocan levels in COVID-19 patients compared to the control group, with a correlation observed between endocan concentration and vaccination status. These findings suggest that endocan may serve as a novel biomarker for detecting inflammation and endothelial dysfunction risk in COVID-19 patients. There was no significant relationship between serum endocan levels and disease severity or the presence of cardiovascular diseases. Endocan can be considered a novel biomarker for the detection of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction risk in COVID-19 patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; endocan; endothelial dysfunction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Plasma levels of CRP in patients with different stages of COVID-19. The difference between severe and moderate groups was significant (p = 0.008). The box plots represent the median values (midpoint) with an interquartile range between the 25th and 75th percentiles (box), along the minimum and maximum values and outliers and extreme values (*).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Plasma levels of LDH in patients with different stages of COVID-19. The difference between severe and mild groups was significant (p = 0.035). The box plots represent the median values (midpoint) with an interquartile range between the 25th and 75th percentiles (box), along the minimum and maximum values and outliers and extreme values(*).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Plasma levels of fibrinogen in patients with different stages of COVID19. The difference between severe and moderate groups was significant (p = 0.021). The box plots represent the median values (midpoint) with an interquartile range between the 25th and 75th percentiles (box), along the minimum and maximum values.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Plasma levels of D dimers in patients with different stages of COVID-19. The difference between severe and mild groups was significant (p = 0.046). The box plots represent the median values (midpoint) with an interquartile range between the 25th and 75th percentiles (box), along the minimum and maximum values and outliers and extreme values(*).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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