Increased flow-mediated vasodilation in cirrhotic patients with ascites: relationship with renal resistive index

Background: Peripheral vasodilation is the key factor in the development of hyperdynamic circulation, sodium retention and functional renal failure in patients with cirrhosis. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) after transient vascular occlusion is a non-invasive method to assess the shear stress-induced arterial vasodilation. Aims: To evaluate FMD in cirrhotic patients with and without ascites and to assess the relationship between FMD and intrarenal resistances. Methods: Flow-mediated dilation was determined in 32 cirrhotic patients (22 with ascites) and 12 healthy controls and correlated with the intrarenal resistive index (RI) assessed by Doppler exploration. Results: Basal diameter of the brachial artery was similar in healthy controls and in cirrhotic patients, whereas FMD was significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis and ascites [29.5% (range 10.3-50%)] than in pre-ascitic patients [17.3% (range 2.4-48.5%)] and healthy control subjects [11.6% (range 5.1-17.8%)] (P < 0.001). Intrarenal RI was significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis than in healthy subjects, and a direct relationship existed between FMD and intrarenal RI (r = 0.66; P < 0.00001). Conclusions: These findings in vivo demonstrate that cirrhotic patients with ascites have an enhanced shear stress-induced peripheral vasodilation, which is closely related to intrarenal vasoconstriction.