Endocan Levels and Coronary Collateral Circulation in Stable Angina Pectoris: A Pilot Study

Abstract

We investigated the relationship between endocan (a marker of systemic inflammation) and the development of coronary collateral circulation (CCC) as evaluated by coronary angiography in patients with chronic stable angina pectoris. A total of 90 patients (32 poor CCC and 58 good CCC) were included in this study. Endocan levels were determined using a commercially available sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit with high sensitivity and specificity for detection of human endocan. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, low endocan levels were independently associated with good CCC ( P < .001). Moreover, low high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were also independently associated with good CCC ( P = .020). We found an optimal cutoff point for endocan of 1.7 ng/mL; it predicted the presence of good CCC with a sensitivity of 72.4% and specificity of 65.6% ( P < .001). The results of the present study suggest that measurement of endocan level may help clinicians to predict the development of CCC in patients with stable coronary artery disease.