title: [Elevated level of circulating endothelial cells as an exponent of chronic vascular dysfunction in the course of AMD].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In recent years, emerging data support the concept of endothelial dysfunction in the course of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are desquamated mature cells that have detached from the intimal monolayer in response to endothelial injury. In this study we sought to explore the potential role of endothelial dysfunction in pathogenesis of AMD by measuring the concentration of CECs in peripheral blood of AMD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood samples from 31 patients with diagnosed dry AMD and 46 patients with neovascular AMD were collected. Forty six, age- and sex-matched volunteers without AMD were enrolled as a control group. CECs were counted and analyzed by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate analyses of patients and controls adjusted for age, gender, presence of ischemic heart disease, hypertension and smoking (current or past) revealed that both wet (beta = +0.45, p = 0.0003) and dry (beta = +0.28, p = 0.027) forms of AMD are independent factors associated with higher number of CECs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that there is an endothelial alteration accompanying AMD. Increased numbers of CECs AMD patients reflect a severe vascular disturbance and may contribute to the disease process. These findings can help expand our knowledge of the pathogenic mechanisms of AMD and may be relevant to the potential treatment of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Z Katedry i Zakładu Histologii i Embriologii Pomorskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Szczecinie. annam@sci.pam.szczecin.pl
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Machalińska
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Safranow
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sylwestrzak
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szmatłoch
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kuprjanowicz
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karczewicz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002469:Cell Separation; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers