Revised: July 31, 2013
Accepted: August 2, 2013
Published online: August 6, 2013
Cardiovascular diseases are the major causes of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The complex process of accelerated athero- and arteriosclerosis in CKD is associated with this phenomenon, where endothelial dysfunction (ED) is one of the initial steps. Hence, the early diagnosis of ED can potentially lead to early interventions which could result in a better outcome for these patients. Several methodologies have been developed for the diagnosis of ED. Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) enables us to study the microcirculation continuously in a non-invasive manner. In our review we would like to focus on different tests developed for LDF, like postocclusive reactive hyperaemia, local heating, iontophoresis, microdialysis or analysis of flowmotion. We would also like to summarize the available data in CKD with these methodologies to enlighten their perspectives in the clinical use on this patient population.
Core tip: Atherosclerotic diseases are the leading causes of death in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Endothelial dysfunction is an important initial step of atherosclerotic processes, so with the early diagnosis and treatment of endothelial dysfunction many cardiovascular events can potentially be prevented. Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) gives the opportunity of the non-invasive study of microcirculation and endothelial function. This review summarizes the results of different LDF techniques and their usefulness in the diagnosis of endothelial dysfunction in CKD patients.