ABSTRACT
Postmenopause was correlated with atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate endothelial cell dysfunction by carotid intimal- medial thickness [IMT] and correlate it, using recently available plasma markers nitric oxide [NO], E-selectin, Nuclear factor kappa B [NF-kB]. Case control study. Mansoura university and private clinic. The work was conducted on 15 postmenopausal women with age mean 62.55 +/- 6.68 and 10 premenopausal women with age mean 43.2 +/- 2.53 as a control group. All cases were subjected to complete clinical examination, carotid artery intimal-medial thickness [IMT] measurement by ultrasonography scanning and study of selected plasma markers of endothelial dysfunction nitric oxide [colorimetric method], E selectin [ELISA] and [NF-kB] [immunocytochemistry]. In addition to plasma lipid [colorimetric method]. There was significant [p=0.003] increase in the IMT in post-menopausal women in comparison to the control group. The lipid profile showed significant increase in triglycerides [TG] [p=0.001] and total cholesterol [p=0.013] and significant decrease in HDL-C [p=0.02] in postmenopausal women in comparison to the control group. The nitric oxide [NO] level was significantly lower in post menopausal women compared with control group [p=0.015]. The plasma E-selectin level was elevated in postmenopausal versus with the control group [p=0.03]. NF-kB was significantly increased in post-menopausal women in comparison to control group [P<0.01]. IMT was positively correlated significantly with total cholesterol [p=0.009], LDL-C [p=0.02] and NF-kB [p=0.000] and negatively correlated with HDL-C [p=0.001]. NF-kB was correlated positively with age [p=0.016], total cholesterol [p=0.005], LDL-C [p=0.012] and negatively correlated with HDL-C [p=0.026] and NO [p=0.004]. The present data are in Keeping with the evidence for significant endothelial cell dysfunction, increased IMT, decreased NO in postmenopausal women