Serum endocan as a predictive biomarker of cardiovascular risk in obese pediatric patients

Carmela Morace; Selenia Lorenza Curatola; Giuseppe Mandraffino; Michele Scuruchi; Angela Elvira Serrano'; Angelo Tropeano; Fortunato Lombardo; Giuseppina Salzano; Giovanni Squadrito; Antonio Giovanni Versace; Mariella Valenzise

doi:10.1186/s13052-023-01510-y

Serum endocan as a predictive biomarker of cardiovascular risk in obese pediatric patients

Ital J Pediatr. 2023 Aug 31;49(1):108. doi: 10.1186/s13052-023-01510-y.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
² Department of Human Pathology of Adulthood and Childhood, Unit of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 98126, Messina, Italy.
³ Department of Human Pathology of Adulthood and Childhood, Unit of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 98126, Messina, Italy. mvalenzise@unime.it.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: Endocan is a soluble dermatan sulfate proteoglycan (50 kDa) secreted by endothelial cells and expressed by dermal, coronary, pulmonary and adipose tissue microvasculature. It plays an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular disorders, inflammatory state, endothelium dysfunction and neoangiogenesis. Aims of the study were to compare fasting serum endocan levels between children with obesity and healthy controls and to investigate the relationships between endocan, body mass index (BMI) and other indices of cardiometabolic risk.

Methods: This single-center, observational, retrospective study included 19 pediatric patients with obesity aged 11.94 ± 0.52 years and 19 lean matched controls. Each patient underwent clinical and auxological examination and laboratory investigations including routine organs function tests and lipid profile. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. Fasting endocan serum levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: Compared to healthy subjects, serum endocan levels were found to be significantly upraised in children with obesity. Endocan resulted significantly correlated with insulin levels (rho 0.47; p = 0.04); in addition, an association with HOMA-IR values with a trend toward the statistical significance (rho 0.43; p = 0.07) was found. No significant correlation with fasting blood glucose values and lipid serum levels was demonstrated. Although not statistically significant, a correlation between endocan and the presence and grading of liver steatosis on ultrasound (rho 0.51; p = 0.08 and rho 0.51; p = 0.08, respectively) was found.

Conclusions: These findings confirm the association between endothelial damage and insulin resistance in children with obesity. Endocan could be used as a biomarker of early endothelial dysfunction in children with obesity and could be a valid predictor of future cardiovascular risk in adulthood.

Keywords: Cardiovascular risk; Children; Endocan; Obesity.

Publication types

Observational Study

MeSH terms

Biomarkers
Cardiovascular Diseases* / diagnosis
Child
Endothelial Cells
Heart Disease Risk Factors
Humans
Insulin Resistance*
Lipids
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors

Substances

Biomarkers
Lipids