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 (WBC) (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.