Serum endocan levels in patients with stable COPD

• Published in: International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Vol. 13; pp. 3367 - 3372
• Main Authors: Pihtili, Aylin, Bingol, Zuleyha, Kiyan, Esen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01-01-2018; Dove Medical Press Ltd; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alveolar Epithelial Cells - immunology; Angina pectoris; Anoxemia; Body mass index; Carbon dioxide; Care and treatment; Chronic illnesses; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Comorbidity; Correlation of Data; Diabetes; EDTA; endocan; endothelial cell specific molecule-1; endothelial dysfunction; Endothelium; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Inflammation; Inflammation - immunology; Lung cancer; Lung diseases; Male; Medical research; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Proteins - analysis; Neoplasm Proteins - immunology; Original Research; Outpatient care facilities; Oxygen therapy; Patient Acuity; Pleural effusion; Pneumonia; Proteoglycans - analysis; Proteoglycans - immunology; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - diagnosis; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - immunology; Pulmonary embolisms; Respiratory distress syndrome; Sarcoidosis; Sleep apnea; Statistical analysis; Sulfates; systemic inflammation; Ventilation; Istanbul Turkey; Turkey; endothelial cell specific molecule-1; systemic inflammation; endothelial dysfunction; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• ISSN: 1178-2005; 1176-9106; 1178-2005
• DOI: 10.2147/COPD.S182731

Endothelial cell specific molecule-1, also called as endocan, is a dermatan sulfate proteoglycan, which is expressed by endothelial cells in alveolar walls of the lung and kidney. High endocan levels are found associated with endothelial dysfunction and inflammation. We hypothesize that endocan level is also high in COPD due to systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. We aimed to investigate the expression of endocan in patients with stable COPD.
The study included patients with COPD and control subjects. COPD patients were classified according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2017 criteria. Demographics, body mass index, smoking history, and comorbidities were recorded. Endocan levels of COPD patients and controls were compared.
Totally, 88 subjects (47 stable COPD patients, 41 controls) were evaluated. Endocan levels were significantly higher in COPD patients than control group (860.1±259.8 vs 647.3±316.9 pg/mL,
=0.001). There was no relationship between GOLD COPD categories and endocan levels. Also endocan levels were similar between COPD patients with or without hypoxemia.
Serum endocan level was significantly higher in patients with stable COPD. Further studies should be performed to better understand the relationship between endocan and COPD.