Vascular progenitor clusters from peripheral blood in cancer patients following oncologic surgery.
BACKGROUND
Vascular progenitor cells (VPCs) are recruited into the peripheral blood (PB) following ischemia and inflammation and correlate with vascular health. The impact of recruiting VPCs on surgical recovery and cancer progression following tumor resection remain unknown.


METHODS
We measured VPC clusters and enumerated circulating CD34+ VEGFR2+ angiogenic cells in 18 patients with oral cancer (OC) undergoing resection and free flap reconstruction (high vascular injury) and in 18 patients undergoing colorectal cancer resection (CRC) (low vascular injury) at baseline and multiple timepoints after surgery.


RESULTS
VPC clusters increased following OC resection, peaking on Day +3 and returning to baseline by Day 28. In contrast, VPC clusters decreased sharply on Day +3 in patients with CRC before returning to baseline. CD34+ VEGFR2+ cells did not increase significantly after surgery. More rapid clinical recovery following OC resection was observed in patients with greater VPC cluster levels on Day +3. Tumor size and subsequent progression of cancer did not correlate with recruitment of VPC cluster-forming cells.


CONCLUSIONS
VPC recruitment following cancer resection may depend on cancer subtype and may relate to the degree of surgical stress and vascular injury. Recovery after surgery for OC may be accelerated in patients with greater VPC recruitment.
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Hedyeh
H
Javidnia
Mary
M
Hanna
Yuhua
Y
Li
Adena
A
Scheer
Lionel
L
Filion
Libni
L
Eapen
Marc
M
Carrier
Rebecca
R
Auer
Martin
M
Corsten
David S
DS
Allan
D000368:Aged; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013997:Time Factors; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000032:analysis
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2
angiogenesis; cancer; colorectal cancer; endothelial progenitors; oral cancer; surgery; vascular progenitors