ESM1 and endothelial dysfunction: demonstrated that serum endocan levels were associated with endothelial dysfunction and inflammation in individuals with acute kidney injury (11); moreover, Cikrikcioglu and collaborators investigated the link existing between endocan levels and the early phase of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), indicating that endocan may be a possible monitoring biomarker of the progression of diabetic nephropathy (12).