title: Circulating CD34+ cells, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Circulating progenitor cells are believed to participate in cardiovascular (CV) homeostasis and their exhaustion has been linked to CV damage. As general agreement on their characterization is lacking, this work was carried out to assess the relationships between different antigenic profiles of progenitor cells and CV risk, with special regard to metabolic syndrome (MetSyn).
  
  
  RESULTS
  CD34, CD133, and KDR were used to quantify circulating progenitors in 214 subjects at different levels of CV risk. In a cross-analysis of six different cell subtypes (CD34(+), CD133(+), CD34(+)CD133(+), CD34(+)KDR(+), CD133(+)KDR(+), and CD34(+)CD133(+)KDR(+)), CD34(+) progenitors showed the best correlation with CV parameters and risk estimates. Components of the MetSyn were all characterized by reduction of CD34(+) cells and acted synergistically in decreasing CD34(+) cell count. Moreover, CD34(+) cell count demonstrated a high performance in detecting high CV risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data demonstrate that CD34 identifies progenitor cells linked to CV risk, showing a close negative correlation between CD34(+) cells and CV risk, as well as a synergic detrimental effect of clustered metabolic components. Progenitor cell count may be used as a surrogate marker of CV risk, whereas extensive antigenic characterization may not be useful for this purpose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Metabolic Diseases, University of Padua, Medical School, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Fadini
authors.forename: Saula Vigili
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: de Kreutzenberg
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coracina
authors.forename: Ilenia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baesso
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agostini
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiengo
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avogaro
mesh_terms: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34