title: Endothelial progenitor cells in adolescents: impact of overweight, age, smoking, sport and cytokines in younger age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are bone marrow derived pluripotent vascular progenitor cells capable to contribute to re-endothelialization and neovascularization. The number of circulating EPCs has been established as a biomarker of cardiovascular risk and is known to decrease with age. We determined the number of EPCs in teenagers and evaluated the influence of traditional risk factors focusing on overweight.
  
  
  METHODS
  79 male adolescents were enrolled (age 13-17 years; 42 of normal weight: 64.1 +/- 7.6 kg; 37 above the 90th BMI-percentile: 96.9 +/- 20.5 kg). 41 healthy adults served as controls. EPCs were counted by flow cytometry (CD34+/-CD133/KDR). Besides traditional risk factors, cholesterol, and high sensitive CRP different cytokines were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overweight adolescents have a higher systolic blood pressure, higher hsCRP, higher HbA(1c) and lower HDL. The number of CD34-negative EPCs, but not CD34-positive EPCs is higher in overweight adolescents. The overall level of EPCs is lower in adolescents compared to adults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight in adolescents influences EPCs in early life. CD34-negative EPCs might be more sensitive to the early risk profile and may represent a biological marker of occult vascular damage. Beginning insulin resistance, endothelial damage and elevation of EPCs could indicate the higher risk for future cardiovascular disease in obese teenagers.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Internal Medicine I, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Erlanger Allee 101, Jena, Germany. christian.jung@med.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fritzenwanger
authors.forename: Hansjörg
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thude
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Marlen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: Bernhard R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Brehm
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barz
authors.forename: Hans R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Figulla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013177:Sports
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D002097:C-Reactive Protein