RESUMEN
Type 2 diabetic patients were divided to 3 groups according to their urinary albumin excretion rate: simple diabetic group (n=30), early diabetic nephropathy group (n=24) and clinical diabetic nephropathy (n=20). Endothelium-dependent dilation function of brachial artery was measured by high resolving power colour Doppler echography and circulating endothelial cells in blood were counted. The results showed that endothelium-dependent dilation function of brachial artery in 3 groups declined progressively in the order of simple diabetic group, early diabetic nephropathy group and clinical diabetic nephropathy group, suggesting that this measurement may serve as one parameter reflecting the status of vascular endothelial function and the extent of vascular lesion.