Reduced circulating endothelial progenitor cell number in healthy young adult hyperinsulinemic men.
OBJECTIVE
The number of Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) is considered a novel marker of cardiovascular (CV) disease. It is not clear which are the main determinants of EPC number in apparently healthy subjects in the absence of overt clinical CV or metabolic abnormalities. We evaluated the main clinical determinants of EPC levels in a population of healthy subjects with normal glucose tolerance.


RESULTS
EPC number was determined in 122 healthy subjects (73M/49F;36.6 ± 8yrs). Blood samples were collected to test biochemical variables. OGTT was performed and insulin resistance/compensatory hyperinsulinemia was defined according to fasting plasma insulin (FPI) levels. EPCs were identified as cells co-expressing CD133/CD34/KDR antigens by flow-cytometry. CD133(+)/KDR(+) count inversely correlated with BMI (rho=-0.18;p < 0.05), waist circumference (-0.2;<0.05), diastolic (-0.23;<0.01) and systolic blood pressure (-0.21;<0.05), uric acid (-0.24;<0.005), PAI-1 (-0.197; <0.05) and FPI (-0.2;<0.05) and directly correlated with HDL cholesterol (0.182;<0.05). CD34(+)/CD133(+)/KDR(+) count inversely correlated with uric acid (-0.28;<0.005) and FPI (-0.2;<0.05). EPC number was lower in males (p < 0.05) and gender was the only independent predictor of EPC count (p < 0.05). By dividing the population in four subgroups based on gender and insulin resistance, CD133(+)/KDR(+) levels were lower in insulin resistant compared to insulin sensitive males (p < 0.05) with no differences in females.


CONCLUSIONS
The male gender is an independent predictor of low EPC levels in healthy subjects. This might contribute to explaining the higher CV risk in males compared to pre-menopausal age-matched females. In this study a reduced EPC number seems to be associated with insulin resistance in male subjects.
Department of Internal Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Parma, Italy. alessandra.deicas@unipr.it
A
A
Dei Cas
V
V
Spigoni
D
D
Ardigò
G
G
Pedrazzi
L
L
Franzini
E
E
Derlindati
S
S
Urbani
L
L
Monti
L
L
Gnudi
I
I
Zavaroni
D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002452:Cell Count; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000378:metabolism
D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015415:Biomarkers; D006023:Glycoproteins; C000606023:PROM1 protein, human; D010455:Peptides; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2