Iranian journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

en Plasma Endocan as a Biomarker of Endothelial Dysfunction in Egyptian Children with Beta-Thalassemia Major: A Single-Center Analysis اطفال pediatrics پژوهشي Research <div style="text-align: justify;">Background: Beta-thalassemia major (β-TM) is a transfusion-dependent disorder associated with iron overload and endothelial dysfunction. Endocan is a proteoglycan secreted by endothelial cells and has been proposed as an indicator of endothelial activation and inflammation. Children with β-TM face various problems, such as glomerular and tubular degeneration, cardiomyopathy, and endothelial damage, which require regular monitoring using a reliable and practical method. This study aimed to evaluate plasma endocan levels in Egyptian children with β-TM. Materials and Methods: A case-control study was conducted at the Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University. The experimental group consisted of 40 children with transfusion-dependent β-TM who were aged between 12 and 16 years, and the control group involved 40 age- and gender-matched healthy children. Clinical assessments and laboratory tests, including hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and C-reactive protein, were performed. Plasma endocan levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Appropriate parametric or non-parametric tests, based on data distribution, were applied, and a p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Children with β-TM had significantly higher plasma endocan levels than controls (median 332 vs. 44 ng/L, p < 0.001). Endocan levels did not significantly differ based on gender (p = 0.575) or splenectomy status (p = 0.986). A significant difference was observed between hepatitis C virus (HCV)-negative and HCV-positive cases (p = 0.005), with higher endocan levels in HCV-positive patients. No significant correlation was found between endocan levels and age, ferritin, or transfusion frequency (p> 0.05). Conclusion: Children with transfusion-dependent β-TM exhibited significantly higher plasma endocan levels, as compared to the healthy controls. Endocan can serve as a potential non-invasive biomarker of endothelial dysfunction in pediatric thalassemia.  </div> Anemia, Beta-Thalassemia, Endothelial cells, Proteoglycan 851 856 http://ijpho.ssu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1206-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Nesrine Ahmed Helaly A.Helaly Nesrine Ahmed Helaly A.Helaly nesrine.helaly@pua.edu.eg 0009-0003-4062-2998 No Medical laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Technology, Pharos University in Alexandria Medical laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Technology, Pharos University in Alexandria Mona Hassan Ali Saad Mona Hassan Ali Saad Mona.hassan@med.helwan.edu.eg 0000-0003-2630-5358 Yes Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt Ahmed Mohammed Afifi Ahmed Mohamme Afifi Ahmed.afifi@med.helwan.edu.eg 0009-0004-7379-6895 No Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt Sally Adel Mahmoud Saleh Sally Adel Mahmoud Sally Adel Mahmoud Saleh sallyadel@alexu.edu.eg 0009-0006-1229-5442 No Hematology Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University Hematology Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University