Serum endocan levels in patients with beta-thalassemia minor may be affected by age and gender

Dear Editor,

We were very pleased to read the study by Khanmammadov N¹ and his colleagues in which they revealed that there was no change in endocan level in beta-thalassemia minor and serum endocan levels may be altered secondarily to decreased beta-globin chain, increased sympathetic activity due to anemia, or platelet dysfunction induced by oxidative stress in beta-thalassemia minor. In my opinion, however, some concerns should be raised.

The main problem of the study was that age and gender may correct the relationships between serum endocan levels and beta-thalassemia minor. The study found no statistically significant differences in age or sex between the two groups. As this study did not estimate the sample size, we could not judge whether the study had enough sample size. However, from the experimental results, the two groups showed a trend of age difference. No matter in normal subjects or in patients with beta-thalassemia minor, serum endocan levels showed a trend of difference between the two groups. If the sample size is large, we speculate that the difference should be statistically significant.

Overall, it is necessary to calculate the power so that we can exclude the influence of age and sex on the experimental results.

• Funding: none.

REFERENCE

• ¹
  Khanmammadov N, Zorlu M, Ozer OF, Karatoprak C, Kiskac M, Cakirca M. Assessment of serum endocan levels in patients with beta-thalassemia minor. Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992).2022;68(2):147-51. https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9282.20210753
  » https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9282.20210753

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  16 Sept 2022
• Date of issue
  Sept 2022

History

• Received
  19 Mar 2022
• Accepted
  08 May 2022