title: Circulating apoptotic progenitor cells in patients with congestive heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Circulating CD34+ endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are capable of differentiating into mature endothelial cells to assist in angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. We sought to quantify the numbers of apoptotic progenitors in patients with congestive heart failure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by Ficoll density-gradient from 58 patients with various degrees of heart failure and 23 matched controls. Apoptosis in progenitor CD34+ cells was assessed using the Annexin V-PE/PI detection kit, and FACS analysis was performed with triple staining for CD34, annexin-V and propidium iodide. The percentage of early and late apoptotic progenitor cells was determined in the subject groups and was correlated with clinical characteristics. While there was no significant difference in total CD34 positive cells or early apoptotic progenitors between control subjects and CHF patients (p = 0.42) or between severe and mild/moderate CHF groups (p = 0.544), there was an elevated number of late apoptotic progenitors in the severe CHF group compared with the mild/moderate CHF group (p = 0.03). Late apoptotic progenitors were significantly increased in CHF patients as compared to matched controls. There was also an inverse correlation between late apoptotic progenitors and ejection fraction (r = -0.252, p = 0.028) as well as a positive association with NYHA class (r = 0.223, p = 0.046).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe heart failure patients exhibited higher numbers of late apoptotic progenitors, and this was positively associated with NYHA class and negatively correlated with ejection fraction. This finding may shed light on the numerous factors governing the pathophysiology of CHF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Dael
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Geft
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwartzenberg
authors.forename: Ori
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rogowsky
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ablin
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maysel-Auslender
authors.forename: Dov
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wexler
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Keren
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: George
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017209:Apoptosis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34
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