Autor(es): Reina-Couto, M ; Alves, D ; Silva-Pereira, C ; Pereira-Terra, P ; Martins, S ; Bessa, J ; Teixeira-Santos, L ; Pinho, D ; Morato, M ; Dias, CC ; Sarmento, A ; Tavares, M ; Guimarães, JT ; Roncon-Albuquerque, R ; Paiva, JA ; Albino-Teixeira, A ; Sousa, T
Data: 2025
Identificador Persistente: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/165129
Origem: Repositório Aberto da Universidade do Porto
"Background and aims: Endocan has been scarcely explored in COVID-19, especially regarding its modulation by veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO), hypertension or previous renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors treatment. We compared endocan and other endotheliitis markers in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and assessed their modulation by VV-ECMO, hypertension and previous RAAS inhibitors treatment. Material and methods: Serum endocan, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin were measured in ""severe"" (n = 27), ""critically ill"" (n = 17) and ""critically ill on VV-ECMO"" (n = 17) COVID-19 patients at admission, days 3-4, 5-8 and weekly thereafter, and in controls (n = 23) at a single time point. Results: Admission endocan and VCAM-1 were increased in all patients, but ""critically ill on VV-ECMO"" patients had higher endocan and E-Selectin. Endocan remained elevated throughout hospitalization in all groups. ""Severe"" and ""critically ill"" hypertensive patients or previously treated with RAAS inhibitors had higher endocan and/or VCAM-1, but in VV-ECMO patients the raised endocan values seemed unrelated with these factors. Among all COVID-19 hypertensive patients, those with previous RAAS inhibitors treatment had higher endocan. Conclusions: In our study, endocan stands out as the best marker of endotheliitis in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, being upregulated by VV-ECMO support, hypertension and previous RAAS inhibitor treatment."
