title: Angiogenic T-cells and putative endothelial progenitor cells in hypertension-related cerebral small vessel disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) may be caused by endothelial dysfunction, whereas endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) may attenuate endothelial dysfunction. Their vitality is lower in CSVD. A subset of lymphocytes, angiogenic T-cells, is capable to stimulate EPC function. The purpose of our study was to explore the relation between CSVD manifestations, angiogenic T-cells, and EPC in hypertensive patients with CSVD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared 32 essential hypertensive patients with CSVD (white matter lesions, asymptomatic lacunar infarcts, or microbleeds on 1.5-Tesla MRI) to 29 age-matched and sex-matched hypertensive controls. We counted angiogenic T-cells (CD3(+)/CD31(+)/CD184(+)) and putative EPC (CD31(+)/CD34(+)/CD45(-)/KDR(+)) by flow cytometry and determined EPC vitality by in vitro cluster formation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Putative EPC numbers were lower in hypertensive individuals with CSVD than in those without (10±7(.)10(3)/mL versus 13±6(.)10(3)/mL [median±interquartile range]; P=0.011). Angiogenic T-cell numbers were also lower in hypertensive individuals with CSVD than in those without (0.56±0.25(.)10(9)/mL versus 0.78±0.50(.)10(9)/mL; P=0.008). Higher angiogenic T-cell numbers independently related to absence of CSVD (odds ratio, 0.088; 95% confidence interval, 0.012-0.627).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that angiogenic T-cells and putative EPC independently relate to radiological CSVD manifestations in hypertensive patients.
authors: Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands. R.Rouhl@mumc.nl
authors: Rob P W
authors: RP
authors: Rouhl
authors: Annelien E C S
authors: AE
authors: Mertens
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: van Oostenbrugge
authors: Jan G M C
authors: JG
authors: Damoiseaux
authors: Lucienne L
authors: LL
authors: Debrus-Palmans
authors: Léon H G
authors: LH
authors: Henskens
authors: Abraham A
authors: AA
authors: Kroon
authors: Peter W
authors: PW
authors: de Leeuw
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Lodder
authors: Jan Willem Cohen
authors: JW
authors: Tervaert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059345:Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology