Original article Serum Endocan Levels in Patients with Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis Fatma M. Abdel Salam a , Naglaa El –Toukhy a , Enas M. El- kharbotly a , Manar M. Mohamed a, Seham G. Ameen b Abstract Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a common severe complication in patients with liver cirrhosis. Endocan is a proteoglycan (PG) secreted by vascular endothelium, its serum level is elevated with an inflammatory or a malignant process. Aim: this study aimed to determine levels of serum endocan in cirrhotic patients with and without spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Methodologies: A total of 83 patients with cirrhotic ascites were included in the study.41 of them had SBP . The severity of liver cirrhosis was assessed using the Child-Pugh score, the Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD), and its update (uMELD) scores . Ascitic fluid samples were collected for leucocytic count differentiation, albumin, glucose estimation, and the serum ascitic albumin gradient. . If the polymorph-nuclear leucocytic count in ascitic fluid was equal to or greater than 250/mm3, SBP diagnosed. Results: The serum endocan level was significantly higher in patients with SBP ROC analysis of serum endocan as a marker for SBP diagnosis revealed: sensitivity of 88.9%, specificity of 61.5% , and area under curve (AUC) of 0.792 at a cut-off value of 67.1(pg/ml). Conclusion: Although endocan level was higher in serum of SBP patients, it cannot be used as a diagnostic marker in SBP. Keywords: Endocan, Cirrhosis, Ascites, Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) a Department of Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Infectious diseases, Benha faculty of medicine, Banha University, Egypt. .b Department of clinical pathology, Benha faculty of medicine, Banha University, Egypt. Correspondence to: Manar M. Mohamed, Department of Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Infectious diseases, Benha faculty of medicine, Banha University, Egypt. Email: manarmonir85@yahoo.com Received: Accepted: