Maternal serum endocan concentrations are elevated in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes

Objectives: To evaluate the maternal serum endocan levels in pregnant women complicated by preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and to compare the results with healthy pregnancies. Methods: This cohort study included 31 pregnant women with PPROM and 34 gestational age-matched healthy subjects in the third trimester of pregnancy. The blood for analysis was obtained on the day of diagnosis and serum endocan levels were measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The pregnant women were observed until the delivery and perinatal data were noted. Results: No significant differences regarding maternal age, body mass index, gravidity, parity and gestational age at sampling were observed (P > 0.05). Mean serum endocan level was significantly higher in the PPROM group than in healthy controls (1490 +/- 632 pg/mL. vs. 972 +/- 586 pg/mL, respectively; P: 0.001). Serum endocan concentration was positively correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP) (r = 0.754, P < 0.001) and white blood cells count (WRC) (r = 0.712, P:0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that endocan with a cut-off point of 1198 ng/dL indicated women with PPROM with sensitivity of 64.5% and specificity of 35.1% (area under curve 0.731, confidence interval 0.61-0.85). Conclusion: Serum endocan level was significantly elevated in the PPROM patients than in healthy controls. The endocan level may be a useful indicator of endothelial dysfunction/inflammation in PPROM cases.