The Association Between Endocan Levels and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract Background Pro-inflammatory conditions induced by circulating factors in diabetes play a pivotal role in endothelial dysfunction and related vascular complications. Endothelial cell specific molecule-1 (ESM-1) or endocan, is a dermatan sulphate proteoglycan secreted primarily by the vascular endothelium. While endocan has been shown to be a potential biomarker in coronary heart disease, its role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in diabetes remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the correlation between serum endocan levels and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods Patients (n=69) with T2DM were included. All the patients were stratified based on the absence (n=42) or presence (n=27) of subclinical atherosclerosis. healthy subjects(n=28) served as controls. Serum levels of endocan, fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin A1 (HbA1c), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) were measured. Results Endocan levels were significantly elevated in both the T2DM (0.89±0.28 ng/ml) and T2DM with subclinical atherosclerosis (1.20±0.33 ng/ml) groups relative to the control group (0.68±0.24 ng/ml) ( P