Endothelial function
MP, HT
HYPERAEMIA, PAT
Plasma concentrations of E-selectin (SEA029Hu), P-selectin (SEA569Hu) and eNOS (SEA868Hu) were determined by ELISA (Cloud-Clone Kit Corp., Katy, TX, USA) using a BioTek® Synergy™ HT Multi-Detection Microplate Reader controlled by BioTek®Gen5 software version 2.01.14 (BioTek Instruments, Winooski, VT, USA). Circulating concentrations of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were determined in serum with Bio-Plex® Pro Human Cytokine ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 kit (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) using a MAGPIX™ Multiplex fluorescence reader operating with the Bio-Plex Pro Wash Station and the Bio-Plex Manager™ MP software for data processing (Luminex Corporation, Austin, TX, USA).Considering that PAT is usually reduced in individuals with cardiovascular risk factors, the hyperemic response was assessed only in the HC subjects by measuring pulsatile arterial volume changes by finger plethysmography using an Endo-PAT 2000® equipment (Itamar Medical, Caesarea, Israel). Volunteers rested in a supine position for at least 10 min before starting measurements of finger pulse wave amplitude (PWA) pre- and post-occlusion of the blood flow in the study arm. The reactive hyperaemia index (RHI) was calculated as the ratio of PWA during reactive hyperaemia 