Early haemoglobin-independent increase of plasma erythropoietin levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE
We studied plasma erythropoietin (EPO) levels and their relation with CD34(+)VEGFR-2(+) (mature and progenitor endothelial cells) and CD34(+) CD133(+)VEGFR-2(+), or CD34(+) CD117(+)VEGFR-2(+) (early/immature endothelial progenitors) cells in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).


RESULTS
Fifty AMI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 6 h of symptom onset were enrolled. EPO, measured by ELISA, and cell subsets, by cytofluorimetric analysis, were evaluated before PCI, 24 h and 7 days afterwards. Forty-five healthy subjects (CTRLs) were studied. Plasma EPO levels were higher in AMI patients at admission, 24 h, and 7 days (P = 0.04, P = 0.0001, P = 0.001, respectively) than in CTRLs. No correlation was evidenced between EPO and haemoglobin (Hb) or haematocrit at admission or 24 h after AMI. Differently, both Hb and haematocrit inversely correlated with EPO at day 7 (P = 0.0016, P = 0.029, respectively). Plasma EPO levels correlated with CD34(+)CD133(+)VEGFR-2(+) cells at day 7 (P = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
AMI patients have increased plasma EPO levels until day 7. In the early phase, plasma EPO levels are Hb-independent; at day 7, an Hb-modulated increase of EPO correlates with the percentage of CD34(+)CD133(+)VEGFR-2(+) cells.
Ferrario
Maurizio
M
Division of Cardiology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, P.le Golgi 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy. m.ferrario@smatteo.pv.it
Massa
Margherita
M
Rosti
Vittorio
V
Campanelli
Rita
R
Ferlini
Marco
M
Marinoni
Barbara
B
De Ferrari
Gaetano Maria
GM
Meli
Valentina
V
De Amici
Mara
M
Repetto
Alessandra
A
Verri
Anna
A
Bramucci
Ezio
E
Tavazzi
Luigi
L
D000208:Acute Disease; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D006454:Hemoglobins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D004921:Erythropoietin; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor