[CLINICAL AND PATHOGENETIC PECULIARITIES OF DEVELOPMENT OF ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION]

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between functional parameters, arterial rigidity, lipid profile, markers of systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in patients with COPD and COPD + coronary heart disease. We examined 110 subjects divided into 3 groups. G group 1 included 40 patients with severe and very severe COPD, group 2 consisted of 40 patients with severe and very severe COPD + coronary artery disease, the control group was comprised of 30 healthy volunteers. We studied parameters of respiratory function, the level of blood oxygenation, the main characteristics of arterial rigidity plasma lipid, TNF-α, CRP, fibrinogen, sPECAM-1 levels and the expression of CD38/ADP-ribosylcyclase in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The study revealed increased rigidity of the central arteries in the patients of groups 1and 2 regardless of the duration of observation and the presence of coronary artery disease, as evidenced by the increase of the pulse wave velocity in the aorta. Patients of both groups had elevated levels of TNF-α, CRP and fibrinogen indicating systemic inflammatory response. Taken together, the enhanced expression of CD38 in peripheral blood lymphocytes, elevated concentration of soluble CD31 (sPECAM-1) in both groups related to bronchial obstruction and neutrophil elastase activity as well as increased rigidity of the vascular bed gives evidence that the CD38 and sCD31 relationship plays a role in the formation of endothelial dysfunction, and dysregulation of vascular tone in COPD patients. Disorders of lipid metabolism combined with increased rigidity of the vascular wall, elevated levels of markers of systemic inflammation and endothelia dysfunction, suggest that patients with COPD are at risk of cardiovascular events.