title: Endothelial dysfunction as a predictor of cardiovascular disease in type 1 diabetes.
abstract: Macro and microvascular disease are the main cause of morbi-mortality in type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Although there is a clear association between endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes, a cause-effect relationship is less clear in T1DM. Although endothelial dysfunction (ED) precedes atherosclerosis, it is not clear weather, in recent onset T1DM, it may progress to clinical macrovascular disease. Moreover, endothelial dysfunction may either be reversed spontaneously or in response to intensive glycemic control, long-term exercise training and use of statins. Acute, long-term and post-prandial hyperglycemia as well as duration of diabetes and microalbuminuria are all conditions associated with ED in T1DM. The pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction is closely related to oxidative-stress. NAD(P)H oxidase over activity induces excessive superoxide production inside the mitochondrial oxidative chain of endothelial cells, thus reducing nitric oxide bioavailability and resulting in peroxynitrite formation, a potent oxidant agent. Moreover, oxidative stress also uncouples endothelial nitric oxide synthase, which becomes dysfunctional, inducing formation of superoxide. Other important mechanisms are the activation of both the polyol and protein kinase C pathways as well as the presence of advanced glycation end-products. Future studies are needed to evaluate the potential clinical applicability of endothelial dysfunction as a marker for early vascular complications in T1DM.
authors.affiliation: Marcello C Bertoluci, Marco V Wainstein, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre RS 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcello C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bertoluci
authors.affiliation: Marcello C Bertoluci, Marco V Wainstein, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre RS 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gislaine V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Cé
authors.affiliation: Marcello C Bertoluci, Marco V Wainstein, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre RS 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antônio Mv
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Marcello C Bertoluci, Marco V Wainstein, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre RS 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marco V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Wainstein
authors.affiliation: Marcello C Bertoluci, Marco V Wainstein, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre RS 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Winston
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Boff
authors.affiliation: Marcello C Bertoluci, Marco V Wainstein, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre RS 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puñales
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Endothelial dysfunction; Type 1 diabetes