Endothelial cells in peripheral blood of healthy subjects and patients with metastatic carcinomas.
BACKGROUND
A lack of standardized assays and consensus of cell definition has lead to a wide variation in the reported range of circulating endothelial cells (CECs).


METHODS
An automated rare cell analysis system was used to enumerate nucleated, CD146+/CD105+/CD45- CECs in 4 mL of blood.


RESULTS
Recoveries of spiked HUVECs were linear over a range of 0-1,241 cells (R2>or=0.99) with recoveries of >or=70% at each spike level. Correlation coefficient values for interoperator variability and duplicate sample variation were (R2=0.99 and 0.90), respectively. Correlation of CEC counts between tubes 1-2 and 2-3 drawn from the same subject in sequence differed (R2=0.48 and 0.63, respectively). The normal CEC reference range established in 249 healthy donors was 1-20 CECs/mL blood. CEC counts were significantly higher in the 206 metastatic carcinoma patients (P<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
CECs can be accurately and reproducibly enumerated in blood and are elevated in metastatic carcinomas compared with healthy donors. Phlebotomy procedures can affect endothelial cell counts.
Rowand
Jason L
JL
Immunicon Corporation, 3401 Masons Mill Road, Suite 100, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania 19006, USA.
Martin
Grace
G
Doyle
Gerald V
GV
Miller
M Craig
MC
Pierce
Michael S
MS
Connelly
Mark C
MC
Rao
Chandra
C
Terstappen
Leon W M M
LW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D001322:Autoanalysis; D001775:Blood Circulation; D051929:CD146 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000071063:Endoglin; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology
D015703:Antigens, CD; D051929:CD146 Antigen; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; C516769:PTPRC protein, human