PILOT STUDY TO ESTABLISH THE USE OF BRACHIAL ULTRASOUND TO MEASURE VASCULAR R

该子项目是利用NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的许多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为中心，不一定是研究者所在机构。主要目的是建立肱动脉超声评估血管功能的本地专业知识，并在成人人群中开发本地规范数据。 最近对人体内血管功能测量的兴趣，特别是内皮反应，导致了用于这种测量的技术的激增。这些技术中的一些是侵入性的，需要放置留置的动脉内和静脉内导管。因此，这些技术不适合在大人群中使用，并且当涉及血液传播性传染病受试者时，会增加研究人员的手术风险。 另一种非侵入性技术是利用肱动脉超声测量血管对刺激的反应。目前，这种肱动脉超声技术仅在有限的基础上在当地可用。PI Dube博士是NHLBI赠款的PI，为该试点项目提供资金，该项目将在超声技术建立后开始使用肱动脉超声作为目前应用的侵入性股动脉血流测量的替代品。 我们计划建立该技术性能的专业知识，并收集一组当地的规范数据。与其他超声测量一样，这些测量的成功高度依赖于操作者。因此，为了评估和最大限度地减少由于该技术的技术性能的变异性，我们需要对一组非卧床志愿者进行该技术，并评估随时间推移的个体内变异性。将通过对从正常受试者初始队列中收集的数据的变异性进行质量控制评估以及由在执行该试验方面具有丰富经验的实验室重新读取测量值来验证适当的技术（威斯康星州大学动脉粥样硬化成像项目www.cvrc.wisc.edu/airp/，James Stein博士，主任）。 在建立进行这些研究所需的技能期间，将收集一组规范性数据，作为质量控制和正常对照，用于与未来研究进行比较。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The primary objective is to establish local expertise in brachial artery ultrasound assessment of vascular function and to develop local normative data in adult populations. Recent interest in the measurement of vascular function in vivo in humans, in particular endothelial responses, has resulted in a proliferation of techniques for such measurements. Some of these techniques are invasive, requiring the placement of an indwelling intra-arterial and intravenous catheters. These techniques are therefore unsuitable for use in large populations, and carry increased procedural risk to study personnel when subjects with blood-borne infectious diseases are involve. An alternative, noninvasive technique using brachial artery ultrasound to measure the vessel response to stimuli is available. Currently this brachial ultrasound technique is available locally only on a limited basis. The PI Dr. Dube is PI of the NHLBI grant providing funds for this pilot project, which will then begin using brachial ultrasound as a substitute for the currently-applied invasive femoral blood flow measurements after the ultrasound technique is established. We plan to establish expertise in the performance of the technique, as well as collect a local set of normative data. As with other ultrasound measurements, the success of these measurements is highly operator-dependent. Therefore, in order to assess and minimize variability due to the technical performance of the technique, we need to perform the technique on a collection of ambulatory volunteers and assess intra-individual variability over time. Adequate technique will be verified through quality control assessments of variability in the data collected from an initial cohort of normal subjects as well as re-reads of the measurements by a laboratory with extensive experience in performing this test (University of Wisconsin Atherosclerosis Imaging Program www.cvrc.wisc.edu/airp/, Dr. James Stein, Director). During the establishment of the skills needed for the performance of these studies, a set of normative data will be collected to serve both as quality controls and also as normal controls for comparison to future studies.