title: Serum endocan as a survival predictor for patients with liver cirrhosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between endocan expression and outcome in patients with chronic liver disease is not fully understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether serum endocan level is predictive of outcome in patients with liver cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 68 patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled. Outcome predictors were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model. The overall survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were evaluated using the log-rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the median follow-up period (7.1 years), nine patients had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 10 patients died. Of the deceased patients, nine died due to hepatic decompensation or associated conditions. No significant factors were found to be predictive of the occurrence of HCC. In contrast, an elevated serum endocan level (≥2.0 ng⁄mL; HR 2.34 [95% CI 1.05 to 7.03]; P=0.037) and high Child-Pugh grade B⁄C (HR 2.65 [95% CI 1.30 to 6.89; P=0.006) were predictive of poor survival. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the respective cumulative survival rates at five and 10 years were 97.1% and 87.4% in patients with serum endocan levels <2.0 ng⁄mL and 85.8% and 64.4% in patients with levels ≥2.0 ng⁄mL (P=0.009), respectively. Moreover, the cumulative survival rates were significantly different among the patient groups divided according to serum endocan level and Child-Pugh grade (P=0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that serum endocan level may be a survival predictor for patients with liver cirrhosis.
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Toshikuni
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Mikihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000097:blood*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: C101134:ESM1 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011509:Proteoglycans