title: CD34-/CD133+/VEGFR-2+ endothelial progenitor cell subpopulation with potent vasoregenerative capacities.
abstract: Our goal was to identify functionally important subpopulations within the heterogenous group of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis of CD133+ progenitor cells revealed the presence of CD34+ and CD34- subpopulations. CD34-/133+ progenitors differentiate into CD34+/133+ EPC, adhere more potently than these in response to SDF-1, and rapidly home to sites of limb ischemia in human volunteers. In human coronary atherectomy samples, fewer CD34-/133+ than CD34+/133+ EPC are present in stable plaques, whereas cell numbers increase with a reversion of the ratio in unstable lesions. In CD34-/133+ EPC-injected nude mice, more transplanted cells coexpressing endothelial markers home to carotid artery lesion endothelium than in CD34+/133+-injected mice. In the former, lesions were smaller and reendothelialization higher than in the latter. We identified a new CD34-/133+ EPC subpopulation, which is apparently a precursor of "classical" CD34+/133+ EPC, and functionally more potent than these with respect to homing and vascular repair.
authors.affiliation: Department for Internal Medicine III, University Hospital of the Saarland, Germany.
authors.forename: Erik B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Friedrich
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walenta
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scharlau
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nickenig
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000097:blood*; D017225:Atherectomy, Coronary; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D012038:Regeneration; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D006023:Glycoproteins; C000606023:PROM1 protein, human; D010455:Peptides; C000606024:Prom1 protein, mouse; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2