Circulating endothelial cells as marker of endothelial damage in male hypogonadism.
Testosterone deficiency has become a frequently diagnosed condition in  today's society affected by epidemic obesity, and is associated with  cardiovascular risk. Recent studies have established the importance of altered  vascular endothelium function in cardiovascular disease. The damage to the  endothelium might also cause endothelial cell detachment, resulting in  increased numbers of circulating endothelial cells (CEC) within the  bloodstream. To evaluate whether hypogonadism could modify CEC count in  peripheral bloodstream, we investigated peripheral blood CEC count using the  CellSearch System, a semiautomatic method to accurately and reliably enumerate  CECs, which are sorted based on a CD146(+), CD105(+),  DAPI(+), CD45(-) phenotype, in a population of 20  patients with hypogonadism. The control group comprised 10 age- and  sex-matched healthy participants. CEC count per milliliter was significantly  increased in patients with hypogonadism vs the control group. In the group  with hypogonadism, an inverse exponential correlation was present between  testosterone levels and CEC count per milliliter. A direct linear correlation  was present between waist circumference and CECs and between body mass index  and CECs. The regression analysis showed that testosterone was the significant  independent determinant of CECs. Our results underline that male hypogonadism  is associated with endothelial dysfunction. The correlation between CEC and  waist circumference underlines that visceral obesity may be synergically  implicated in this regulation. Future studies are required to unveil the  mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of testosterone-induced endothelial  disfunction, which may provide novel therapeutic targets to be incorporated in  the management of hypogonadism.
International Scientific Institute Paolo VI, Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Universita` Cattolica del S. Cuore, Rome, Italy. milardid@yahoo.it
Domenico
D
Milardi
Giuseppe
G
Grande
Antonella
A
Giampietro
Francesca
F
Vendittelli
Sara
S
Palumbo
Linda
L
Tartaglione
Riccardo
R
Marana
Alfredo
A
Pontecorvi
Laura
L
de Marinis
Cecilia
C
Zuppi
Ettore
E
Capoluongo
D000328:Adult; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D013739:Testosterone / Q000172:deficiency; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology
D013739:Testosterone