Article

The endothelium holds a pivotal role in cardiovascular health and disease.
Assessment of its function was until recently limited to experimental designs due
to its location. The advent of novel techniques has facilitated testing on a more
detailed basis, with focus on distinct pathways. This review presents available
in-vivo and ex-vivo methods for evaluating endothelial function with special
focus on more recent ones.
The diagnostic modalities covered include assessment
of epicardial and microvascular coronary endothelial function, local vasodilation
by venous occlusion plethysmography and flow-mediated dilatation, arterial pulse
wave analysis and pulse amplitude tonometry, microvascular blood flow by laser
Doppler flowmetry, biochemical markers and bioassays, measurement of
endothelial-derived microparticles and progenitor cells, and glycocalyx
measurements. Insights and practical information on the theoretical basis,
methodological aspects, and clinical application in various disease states are
discussed. The ability of these methods to detect endothelial dysfunction before
overt cardiovascular disease manifests make them attractive clinical tools for
prevention and rehabilitation.

Langue : ANGLAIS