[Early non-invasive diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases].

The study was focused on the assessment of diagnostic significance of cholesterol content in the corneal layer of epidermis detected by the method based on experimental findings that suggest positive correlation between cholesterol levels in aortic endothelium and palm corneal epidermis. Surface cholesterol level was measured with the use of digitonin conjugate. A specially developed photometer proved a valuable tool for quantitative assay of surface cholesterol. Surface cholesterol was detected in epidermis of 649 patients with angiographically confirmed stenotic atherosclerosis. Its levels were significantly different in patients with different localization of atherosclerosis and in age-matched controls. The proposed test was found to be of great prognostic value even if its results were highly variable due to the necessity of separating free and conjugate-bound cholesterol. The enzyme assay of surface cholesterol in epidermis obviates this procedure which significantly improves reproducibility of results.