title: Serum levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are inversely associated with the number and migratory activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in apparently healthy subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been shown to participate in the process of vascular repair, thus playing a protective role against cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is known that atherosclerotic risk factors could affect EPC number and function. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis as well. However, as far as we know, there is no report to show the relationship between serum AGE levels and circulating EPCs in humans. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether serum level of AGEs was associated with EPC number and functions in apparently healthy subjects, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Apparently healthy volunteers (34.6 ± 6.9 years old, 40 males and 8 females) who were not on any medications underwent a complete history and physical examination, determination of blood chemistries, including AGEs, and number, differentiation and migratory activity of circulating EPCs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum AGEs levels were 9.20 ± 1.85 U/mL. Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that serum levels of AGEs and smoking were independently correlated with reduced number of EPCs. Further, female, AGEs, and reduced HDL-cholesterol levels were independently associated with impaired migratory activity of circulating EPCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated for the first time that the serum level of AGEs was one of the independent correlates of decreased cell number and impaired migratory activity of circulating EPCs in apparently healthy subjects. Our present observations suggest that even in young healthy subjects, serum level of AGEs may be a biomarker that could predict the progression of atherosclerosis and future cardiovascular events.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors: So
authors: S
authors: Ueda
authors: Sho-ichi
authors: S
authors: Yamagishi
authors: Takanori
authors: T
authors: Matsui
authors: Yoshihiro
authors: Y
authors: Noda
authors: Shin-ichiro
authors: S
authors: Ueda
authors: Yuko
authors: Y
authors: Jinnouchi
authors: Ken-ichiro
authors: K
authors: Sasaki
authors: Masayoshi
authors: M
authors: Takeuchi
authors: Tsutomu
authors: T
authors: Imaizumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000097:blood; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002452:Cell Count; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2