[Vascular endothelial dysfunction in patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases]

At present data on endothelial dysfunction in chronic obstructive lung diseases (COLD) are lacking while in these diseases, favorable conditions are being established to develop endothelial dysfunction, namely: hypoxia, metabolic dysfunction of the lung endothelium, elevated levels of different biologically active substances, including cytokines, leukotrienes, etc. Sixty males with COLD, whose mean age was 51.16 +/- 1.13 years, were examined. A control group comprised 35 apparently healthy volunteers. Reactive hyperemia and nitroglycerin tests were performed to study endothelial function. The blood levels of desquamated endotheliocytes were determined by the method described by J. Hladovec (1978). According to the findings, the count of circulating endothelial cells was greater in patients with COLD than that in healthy individuals. In patients with severe COLD, the signs of endothelial lesion were most pronounced than in those with mild and moderate COLD. Patients with COLD showed a significantly lower level of current-dependent dilatation than did the controls. At the same time, patients with severe COLD exhibited a more marked decrease in endothelium-dependent dilatation than did those with mild and moderate COLD. Thus, patients with COLD have been found to have signs of endothelial lesion and impairments of the vasoregulatory activity of the vascular wall, which require further studies. These changes manifest themselves just in patients with mild and moderate COLD and they are most marked in patients with severe COLD.