title: Circulating dendritic cell precursors in chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells in the immune system. They patrol the blood as circulating dendritic cell precursors (DCP). Decreased blood DCP count has been shown to be related to atherosclerotic plaque burden. Since chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with chronic inflammation and increased cardiovascular risk, the aim of our study was to investigate a potential effect of CKD on circulating DCP numbers especially in patients with a history of cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The number of circulating myeloid (mDCP), plasmacytoid (pDCP), and total DCP (tDCP) was analysed by flow cytometry in 245 patients with CKD stage 3 (with and without known cardiovascular events) and 85 coronary healthy controls. In addition, data were compared with a historical group of 130 patients with known coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to controls, patients with CKD 3 revealed a significant decrease in circulating mDCP (-29%), pDCP (-43%), and tDCP (-38%) (P < 0.001, respectively). Compared with CAD-patients, the decrease in circulating DCP in CKD was comparable or even more pronounced indicating a potential role for DCP in cardiovascular risk potentiation due to CKD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on previous findings in CAD, the marked decrease of DCP in CKD implicates a potential role for DCP as a mediator of cardiovascular disease. Whether DCP in CKD may act as new cardiovascular biomarkers needs to be established in future prospective trials.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Nephrology, Jena University Hospital Friedrich-Schiller University, Erlanger Allee 101, Jena, 07740 Germany. katharina.paul@med.uni-jena.de.
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Paul
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Kretzschmar
authors: Atilla
authors: A
authors: Yilmaz
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Bärthlein
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Titze
authors: Gunter
authors: G
authors: Wolf
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Busch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult