Markers of endothelial dysfunction

The endothelium is a functional barrier between vessel wail and blood strea m. Assuming the total human vascular and capillary system occupies a surfac e area of more than 1,000 m(2) which is covered by 10(13) endothelial cells , the complex role of the endothelium for hemostasis and immunological and metabolic processes becomes obvious. Dysfunction of the endothelium is a cr itical factor in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases and thrombus formati on. This paper provides a brief review of physiological endothelial functions a nd summarizes measurable changes in products released from endothelial cell s under pathological conditions which were associated with endothelial dysf unction.