Serum Endocan Levels as A Valuable Biomarker for Discrimination of Critical and Stable COVID-19 Patients

Abstract

Objective:The primary aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between serum endocan levels and clinical condition of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients. The secondary aim was to investigate the associations between the serum endocan levels and other inflammatory parameters with regard to clinical outcomes.Method:A total of 80 COVID-19 patients, 44 in stable and 36 in critical condition, with positive polymerase chain reaction test result, older than 18 years of age and whose first admission complaint was not either heart attack or ischemic stroke were included in this study. Patients’ characteristics and clinical outcome, hematological and biochemical parameters, thorax computed tomography, treatment approach, vital signs, and COVID-19 symptoms were analyzed.Results:The mean age of the critical patients was significantly higher than that of the stable patients (71.00±13.27 and 53.36±17.80; p<0.001). Blood and serum parameters (C-reactive protein, ferritin, procalcitonin, lactate, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, D-dimer, troponin T, urea, creatinine, white blood cell, and international normalized ratio) were significantly higher in critical patients (p<0.05). Serum endocan levels were significantly higher in critical patients (518.9±513.31 ng/ mL; p<0.001). Endocan, age, lactate, and troponin T were found to be significantly effective to distinguish critical patients from the stable patients in the multivariate model. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that 244.9 ng/mL endocan level had 88.9% sensitivity and 63.6% specificity for critical patients.Conclusion:Serum endocan levels are a useful biomarker to predict the clinical condition on the admission and may predict the prognosis and outcomes of COVID-19 patients.

Keywords

• covid-19
• endocan
• prognosis