Serum endocan levels in beta thalassemia minor

Introduction and aim: Beta thalassemia minör (BTM) is an important form of thalassemia with minor mild anemia caused by impaired hemoglobin structure due to the lack of production of the beta globulin chain in the structure of hemoglobin. Studies have shown that the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases is less in BTM, but the mechanism has not been shown clearly. The ratio and expression of endocan molecule released by endothelium (endothelium-specific molecule) increases in tissue during endothelium activation (in inflammation) and neovasculerization. Studies have shown that serum endocan levels are increased in patients with endothelial dysfunction such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes, acute coronary syndrome, sepsis, hypertension and acute rejection after renal transplantation. In this study, we aimed to show that low endocan level may be contributing to the low incidence of endothelial damage in patients with BTM and consequently the development of low rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Materials and Method: Our study is a prospective cross-sectional study. Subjects included in the study were divided into two groups: the BTM group (n: 40) and the healthy control group (n: 40). Diseases, comorbid conditions and drug uses that are known to affect and might be affecting endocan levels were determined as exclusion criteria of the study. Serum endocan levels and other routine laboratory tests were studied. Findings: As 38,8% (n = 31) of the patients were male and 61,2% (n = 49) were female a total of 80 patients were included in this study. The ages of the patients included in the study ranged from 18 to 65 and was determined to be average 36.99 ± 12.29 years. Statistically no significant difference was found between two groups regarding age, sex and BMI values (p> 0.05). The endocan measurements of the cases were 206,85 ± 88,1 pg / ml in the BTM group and 236,1 ± 162,8 pg / ml in the control group. Although endocan measurements were found to be lower in BTM group, it was not statistically significant (p> 0.05). TSH, glucose, HbA1C, HOMA-IR, HDL, LDL, triglyceride, total cholesterol, AST, ALT, creatinine and CRP values were not significantly different between the groups. Result: In our study, serum endocane levels were lower in BTM patients than in the control group, but the results were not statistically significant. In conclusion, multicentral new studies with more patients are required to show that serum endocane levels may contribute to the development of low rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in BTM patients. Key Words: beta thalassemia minor, endothelial dysfunction, cardiovascular ischemic event, cerebrovascular ischemic event, endocan