title: [Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in patients with chronic heart failure].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In chronic heart failure (CHF), endothelial dysfunction (ED) is a consequence of an imbalance of vascular tone regulating substances. The relationship between ED and inflammation has not been fully investigated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association between inflammation and ED in CHF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty two patients aged 56+/-14 years (80% male) with a CHF in functional capacity II-III (New York Heart Association) and an ejection fraction (FE) <40% were consecutively studied. Patients were classified according to the presence or absence of ED, evaluated by reactive vasodilation measured by ultrasound, after brachial artery compression. Circulating levels of highly sensitive C reactive protein (usCRP), tumor necrosis factor a (TNFá) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined by ELISA. A group of 15 healthy subjects of similar age, were studied as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty seven percent of patients had ED. Compared to controls, patients with CHF had higher usCRP (0.58+/-0.4 and 4.9+/-7.1 mg/dl respectively, p <0.01) and IL-6 (1.38+/-0.06 and 3.1+/-1.7 mg/dl respectively, p <0.01). Compared to patients without ED, patients with CHF and ED had higher levels of usCRP (3.0+/-0.4 and 6.0+/-5.7 mg/dl respectively, p <0.01) and TNFá (0.31+/-0.26 and 1.0+/-1.1 pg/ml, p =0.02). No differences in IL-6 were found between CHF groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In CHF patients, the presence of ED was associated with increased levels of inflammatory markers.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Marcoleta 367, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Greig
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Verdejo
authors.forename: Hernán
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alcaíno
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bustos
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiong
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.forename: Rosemarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mellado
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Salas
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vivar
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vukasovic
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Concepción
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Díaz-Araya