Relationship Between the Flow-Mediated Dilatationof the Human Brachial Artery and Blood BiomarkersRelated to the Endothelial Function in CardiovascularDiseases

Abstract

Objective: Endothelial dysfunction plays an important role in the development of heart diseases. Although several markershave been examined, a definitive biomarker for monitoring endothelial function has not yet been established. The flow-me diated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery enables non-invasive assessment of endothelial function. This study investigatedplasma levels of nitric oxide (NO), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and hydrogensulfide (H2S) as biomarkers of endothelial function. This study aimed to investigate any correlation between FMD and theseblood biomarkers in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), prediabetes (preDM), coronary artery disease (CAD), and valvularheart disease (VD). Materials and Methods: Prospective evaluation was made within five groups of patients with preDM, DM, CAD, VD, andhealthy controls. The FMD of the brachial artery was examined using Doppler imaging, and biomarker levels in plasma weremeasured by spectrophotometry. Results: The FMD of the VD group was significantly higher than that of DM and CAD groups. Plasma NO levels of CADand VD groups were significantly lower than those of the control group. ADMA levels were lower in the CAD group. TACand H2S levels were comparable in all groups. The FMD of the brachial artery was negatively correlated with plasma NO andcholesterol levels in all groups. Conclusion: These results suggested that the correlation of FMD with blood biomarkers related to endothelial function wasaltered in cardiovascular diseases and would be affected by the patient’s clinical state and treatment.