The endothelial dysfunction in chronic venous disease. a systematic review.

Normal endothelial function maintains vascular homeosta- sis. Evidences have shown that inflammation, Matrix met- alloproteinases (MMPs) and glycocalix disfunction may be pivotal factors that lead to endothelial dysfunction, both on arterial and venous disease including chronic venous disease (CVD). PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were searched for relevant articles on these issues. This study performed a systematic analysis of the most recent scientific literature on the structure of the vascular venous endothelium and the pathophysiological processes which determine the alteration of endothelial function in CVD. An updated insight into the world of venous endothelial dysfunction might help physi- cians in better evaluating pathophysiological mechanisms of endothelial damage and in programming appropriate inter- ventions to modify it.