Impairment of the vasodilatation capability of the brachial artery in patients with idiopathic venous thrombosis

Aim: determination of the functional capability of the peripheral arteries is increasingly used as an early marker of vessel disease. the aim of this study was to evaluate flow-mediated (fmd) and glyceryl trinitrate-mediated (nmd) dilation of the brachial artery in patients with idiopathic venous thrombosis (vt). methods: flow-mediated brachial artery dilatation and the dilatation response to glyceryl trinitrate were measured using high-resolution ultrasound in 97 subjects (49 eligible patients of both sexes,mean age 51.5±14.6 years,with idiopathic venous thrombosis,and 48 age-matched healthy controls). results: compared to the control group,fmd was significantly reduced in the group of patients with idiopathic venous thrombosis -4.9% (95% ci 1.1-8.7%) vs. 12.7% (95% ci 7.8-17.6%),p<0.001. patients also had diminished nmd of the brachial artery -12.5% (95% ci 6.6-18.4%) vs. 18.5% (95% ci 10.1-26.9%),p<0.001. in patients,significantly higher levels of circulatory markers (p-selectin,von willebrand factor) of endothelial dysfunction were registered. conclusions: idiopathic venous thrombosis is associated with impaired flow- and gtn-mediated vasodilatory response of the brachial artery. this may suggest involvement of the functional deterioration of the vessel wall in the pathogenesis of idiopathic vt and indicate a relationship between vt and atherothrombosis.