[Diagnostic efficiency of laboratory tests determining the functional status of the endothelium in patients with chronic diffuse liver diseases].

The patients with chronic diffuse liver diseases were found to have signs of endothelial damage, which manifests itself as increases in the count of desquamated endotheliocytes, the level of vascular endothelial growth factor, and the concentration of von Willebrand factor in plasma and to have signs of endothelial dysfunction as reduced nitric oxide levels and elevated endothelin-1 concentrations in plasma. The magnitude of changes in the indicators of endothelial dysfunction and in the markers of endothelial damage depends on the severity of hepatic damage.