Prognostic importance of endocan level in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease

Abstract

Aim: Endothelial dysfunction and the level of endocan may be related to the development of thrombotic atherosclerotic complications. We aimed to investigate the relationship between ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICD) and serum level of endocan and prognosis in ICD. Method: We compared the serum level of endocan of 80 patients and of 60 healthy controls. Blood samples were obtained from the patient group within the first 24 hours, by the end of the first week and by the end of the third month. The prognosis of stroke was interpreted with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at the same intervals. Results: No significant difference was found in regard to serum levels of endocan between the patient and the control groups. Also, there was not any statistically significant difference seen between the two groups for serum levels of endocan within the first 24 hours, first week, and 3rd month. A positive correlation was observed between the 1st week endocan levels and total cholesterol and LDL levels (r=0.329, p=0.021; r=0.317, p=0.032 respectively). Conclusion: We found no relationship between levels of endocan and ICD and its prognosis. It was demonstrated that levels of endocan may be influenced by vascular risk factors and medications. © Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine.