Does endocan level increase in women with polycystic ovary syndrome? A case — control study

Objectives: To evaluate endocan levels of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in comparison to healthy women. Material and methods: A cross-sectional case-control study on 88 patients with PCOS (mean age, 22.06 ± 4.24 years; body mass index [BMI], 23.9 ± 4.74 kg/m2) and 87 age- and BMI-matched healthy women (mean age, 23.71 ± 4.42 years; BMI, 22.15 ± 3.03 kg/m2). Results: Serum endocan level was significantly higher in PCOS group than control group (540.9 ± 280.3 pg/mL vs. 355.5 ± 233.5 pg/mL, respectively; p 0.05). In PCOS group, endocan level was negatively correlated with BMI and C-reactive protein level, and positively correlated with high density lipoprotein level (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Blood endocan level is increased in PCOS. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical value of blood endocan level as a marker for the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in patients with PCOS.