Exercise training and endothelial progenitor cells in haemodialysis patients.
Haemodialysis patients have few endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and an unfavourable cardiovascular outcome. The effects on peripheral blood CD34(+) cells and EPCs of a 6-month walking exercise programme were studied. Thirty dialysis patients (20 males, age 67 +/- 12 years) were prescribed exercise (two daily 10-min home walking sessions at moderate intensity, group E, n = 16) or not prescribed exercise (control, group C, n = 14). On entry and after 6 months peripheral blood CD34(+) cells, EPCs (assessed as CD34(+) cells co-expressing AC133 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 [VEGFR2], and as endothelial colony-forming units [e-CFU]) and exercise capacity (6-min walking distance, 6MWD) were evaluated. In group E, 6MWD and e-CFU increased significantly during the study period, with no significant changes in CD34(+) or CD34(+) AC133(+) VEGFR2(+) cell numbers. The change in e-CFU was directly and significantly correlated to patient-reported training load. Group C showed no significant change in any variable. In haemodialysis patients, moderate-intensity exercise selectively increased the number of e-CFU.
Manfredini
F
F
Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara, Italy. mdf@unife.it
Rigolin
G M
GM
Malagoni
A M
AM
Catizone
L
L
Mandini
S
S
Sofritti
O
O
Mauro
E
E
Soffritti
S
S
Boari
B
B
Cuneo
A
A
Zamboni
P
P
Manfredini
R
R
D000368:Aged; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology