Assessments of endothelial function and arterial stiffness are reproducible in patients with COPD

Relationship between the Soluble F11 Receptor and Annexin A5 in African Americans Patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by endothelial dysfunction, increased thrombogenicity, and inflammation. The soluble human F11 receptor (sF11R) and annexin A5 (ANXA5) play crucial roles in inflammatory thrombosis and atherosclerosis. We examined the relationship between circulating sF11R and ANXA5 and their impact on endothelial function. The study included 125 patients with T2DM. Plasma levels of sF11R and ANXA5 were quantified by ELISA. Microvascular function was assessed using the vascular reactivity index (VRI). Large artery stiffness was assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) was assessed by B-mode ultrasound imaging. The mean age of patients in the study was 59.7 ± 7.8 years, 78% had hypertension, 76% had dyslipidemia, and 12% had CKD. sF11R correlated positively with ANXA5 levels (β = 0.250, p = 0.005), and correlated inversely with VRI and total nitic oxide (NO), (β = −0.201, p = 0.024; β = −0.357, p = 0.0001, respectively). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that sF11R was independently associated with ANXA5 in the total population and in patients with HbA1c > 6.5% (β = 0.366, p = 0.007; β = 0.425, p = 0.0001, respectively). sF11R and ANXA5 were not associated with vascular outcome, suggesting that they may not be reliable markers of vascular dysfunction in diabetes. The clinical significance of sF11R/ANXA5 association in diabetes warrants further investigation in a larger population.

Endothelial dysfunction in COPD: a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies using different functional assessment methods

Background

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in COPD. Endothelial dysfunction is suggested to be one of the pathogenetic mechanisms involved. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies using any available functional method to examine differences in endothelial function between patients with COPD and individuals without COPD (controls).

Methods

Literature search involved PubMed and Scopus databases. Eligible studies included adult patients and evaluated endothelial damage via functional methods. The Newcastle–Ottawa scale was applied to evaluate the quality of retrieved studies. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore heterogeneity across the studies. Funnel plots were constructed to evaluate publication bias.

Results

Of the 21 reports initially identified, 19 studies with a total of 968 participants were included in the final meta-analysis. A significantly impaired response in endothelium-dependent (weighted mean between-group difference (WMD) −2.59, 95% CI −3.75 to −1.42) and -independent vasodilation (WMD −3.13, 95% CI −5.18 to −1.09) was observed in patients with COPD compared to controls. When pooling all studies together, regardless of the technique used for assessment of vascular reactivity, pronounced endothelial dysfunction was observed in COPD compared to controls (standardised mean difference (SMD) −1.19, 95% CI −1.69 to −0.68). Subgroup analysis showed that the difference was larger when patients with COPD were compared with nonsmoking controls (SMD −1.75, 95% CI −2.58 to −0.92). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the results.

Conclusions

Patients with COPD have significantly impaired endothelial function compared to controls without COPD. Future studies should delineate the importance of endothelial dysfunction towards development of cardiovascular disease in COPD.

COPD is significantly associated with endothelial dysfunction of both conduit vessels and microvasculature. This association is further strengthened when patients with COPD are compared to nonsmoking controls.https://bit.ly/2NlWLFN

The role of the endothelium in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

COPD and asthma are important chronic inflammatory disorders with a high associated morbidity. Much research has concentrated on the role of inflammatory cells, such as the neutrophil, in these diseases, but relatively little focus has been given to the endothelial tissue, through which inflammatory cells must transmigrate to reach the lung parenchyma and cause damage. There is evidence that there is an abnormal amount of endothelial tissue in COPD and asthma and that this tissue and its’ progenitor cells behave in a dysfunctional manner. This article reviews the evidence of the involvement of pulmonary endothelium in COPD and asthma and potential treatment options for this.