title: Endothelial functions: Translating theory into clinical application.
abstract: The vascular endothelium plays a pivotal role in modulating endothelial homeostasis. A number of methods have been developed to assess the function of this important tissue in humans in vivo, in the hope that such data may contribute to the early diagnosis and risk stratification of patients at risk for, or with, cardiovascular disease. Despite these efforts, a number of issues, both practical and theoretical, arise from the attempt of quantifying the elusive "endothelial function", and from the attempt of defining what is "endothelial dysfunction". The present paper, based on a lecture held at the conference of the European Society of Hemorheology and Microcirculation, will try to deal with these issues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Selina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muxel
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fasola
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Radmacher
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jabs
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Münzel
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gori
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods