History of cardiovascular disease is associated with endothelial progenitor cells in peritoneal dialysis patients.
BACKGROUND
It is unknown whether traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors influence the number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and whether numbers of EPCs correlate with endothelial function in patients with end-stage renal disease.


METHODS
In a cross-sectional study of 38 peritoneal dialysis patients, we examined numbers of circulating CD34+/KDR+/CD133+ cells, CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells, and EPCs cultured from peripheral blood. We also assessed conventional cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as history of vascular disease, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and smoking. We determined endothelial function by measurement of endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent reactivity of forearm resistance arteries by using strain-gauge plethysmography.


RESULTS
Numbers of EPCs cultured from peripheral blood and forearm blood flow reactivity did not differ between erythropoietin-treated peritoneal dialysis patients and healthy individuals. A history of vascular disease was associated with number of cultured EPCs, but other cardiovascular disease risk factors showed no association. Furthermore, there was no association of endothelial-dependent and endothelial-independent forearm blood flow reactivity with EPCs in peritoneal dialysis patients.


CONCLUSIONS
In this first study of EPCs in peritoneal dialysis patients, we found an association between history of vascular disease and EPCs, but no association of EPCs with endothelial function or other cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Steiner
Sabine
S
Division of Angiology, Department of Medicine II, Medical University Vienna, Austria.
Schaller
Georg
G
Puttinger
Heidi
H
Födinger
Manuela
M
Kopp
Christoph W
CW
Seidinger
Daniela
D
Grisar
Johannes
J
Hörl
Walter H
WH
Minar
Erich
E
Vychytil
Andreas
A
Wolzt
Michael
M
Sunder-Plassmann
Gere
G
D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014655:Vascular Resistance
D015703:Antigens, CD; D004921:Erythropoietin