A Comparison of the Circulating Endocan Levels between the Inflammatory and Malignant Diseases of the Same Organ: The Breast

Abstract

Purpose

Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a benign inflammatory breast disease that can clinically mimic breast carcinoma (BC). The aim of this study was to compare the endocan levels between inflammatory and neoplastic diseases of the breast, and to determine whether endocan is a convenient diagnostic biomarker for early stage BC and for the differentiation from IGM.

Material and methods

A total of 65 patients, consisting of 35 newly diagnosed with BC and 30 with IGM proven by core biopsies, and 20 healthy volunteer women with similar demographic characteristics were enrolled in the study. Endocan was assayed by a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.

Results

The endocan level was found to be significantly higher in the BC group than in the control group (p = 0.003). Although the endocan level was higher in the IGM group compared to the control group, there was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.057). No significant distinctive difference was observed between the BC and IGM groups in terms of the endocan level (p = 0.373). The serum endocan level was found to be positively correlated with BMI and vitamin D levels in the BC group (p = 0.043 and p = 0.023, respectively).

Conclusions

We demonstrated that the serum endocan level was increased in patients with BC compared to healthy subjects, whereas in our enrolled study patient population, endocan was not a statistically valid biomarker for the differential diagnosis between BC and IGM. These findings indicate the potential role of endocan in the pathogenesis of BC.

Keywords:

• Breast cancer
• idiopathic granulomatous mastitis
• endocan
• differential diagnosis
• biomarker
• inflammation
• tumorogenesis

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest related to the publication of this manuscript.

Ethics approval

The ethics committee of Medipol University approved the study (10840098-604.01.01-E.3375 number: 77).

Availability of data and material

Raw data were generated at Medipol University Medical Faculty General Surgery Department. Derived data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author [P. Basim] on request.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.