title: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study of the Effects of Acupuncture on Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Coronary Heart Disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the number one killer of men and women in the United States, and despite traditional secondary prevention, individuals with the disease remain at risk. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may have beneficial effects on atherosclerosis, angiogenesis, and vascular repair and may contribute systemically to ongoing endogenous repair processes. Traditional acupuncture (TA), a modality used in the practice of Chinese medicine, appears to have beneficial effects in many areas associated with CHD.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study examined the effects of TA on circulating EPCs in individuals with CHD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research team performed a randomized, controlled pilot study.
  
  
  METHODS
  All interventions were performed at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 13 participants in 3 groups: (1) TA (n = 5), (2) sham acupuncture (SA, n = 5), or (3) waiting control (WC, n = 3).
  
  
  METHODS
  The TA group received acupuncture treatments for 12 wk at CHD-specific sites, while the SA group received no-needle pressure at nonacupuncture sites for the same period, and the WC group received no intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study measured the number of EPCs circulating in peripheral blood to determine cell surface markers for expressions of cluster of differentiation 34, 133 (CD34+/CD133+) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGF-R2+).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight men and 5 women with a mean age of 59 ± 10.9 y were included. Compared with their measurements at baseline, members of the TA group had a significantly greater change in the level of EPCs expressing CD34+/VEGF-R2+ compared with the SA group (P = .04). No group differences were evident in immature EPCs expressing CD34+/CD133+.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study's results suggest that TA can alter the number of EPCs circulating in peripheral blood by increasing the mobilization of the VEGF-R2+ EPC subpopulations. Further studies are warranted to evaluate whether TA can beneficially affect CHD via augmentation of EPC regenerative pathways.
authors.affiliation: is a research acupuncturist; is a cardiology fellow; is director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Function Research Lab; is a research associate III; is a clinical research associate II; is a research scientist and assistant professor; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; and is a professor of medicine and the center director. All are located at Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. is the director of regenerative medicine research at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Painovich
authors.affiliation: is a research acupuncturist; is a cardiology fellow; is director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Function Research Lab; is a research associate III; is a clinical research associate II; is a research scientist and assistant professor; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; and is a professor of medicine and the center director. All are located at Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. is the director of regenerative medicine research at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Phancao
authors.affiliation: is a research acupuncturist; is a cardiology fellow; is director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Function Research Lab; is a research associate III; is a clinical research associate II; is a research scientist and assistant professor; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; and is a professor of medicine and the center director. All are located at Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. is the director of regenerative medicine research at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Puja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: is a research acupuncturist; is a cardiology fellow; is director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Function Research Lab; is a research associate III; is a clinical research associate II; is a research scientist and assistant professor; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; and is a professor of medicine and the center director. All are located at Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. is the director of regenerative medicine research at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Supurna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.affiliation: is a research acupuncturist; is a cardiology fellow; is director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Function Research Lab; is a research associate III; is a clinical research associate II; is a research scientist and assistant professor; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; and is a professor of medicine and the center director. All are located at Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. is the director of regenerative medicine research at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Shivani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhawan
authors.affiliation: is a research acupuncturist; is a cardiology fellow; is director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Function Research Lab; is a research associate III; is a clinical research associate II; is a research scientist and assistant professor; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; and is a professor of medicine and the center director. All are located at Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. is the director of regenerative medicine research at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: is a research acupuncturist; is a cardiology fellow; is director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Function Research Lab; is a research associate III; is a clinical research associate II; is a research scientist and assistant professor; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; and is a professor of medicine and the center director. All are located at Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. is the director of regenerative medicine research at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: is a research acupuncturist; is a cardiology fellow; is director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Function Research Lab; is a research associate III; is a clinical research associate II; is a research scientist and assistant professor; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; and is a professor of medicine and the center director. All are located at Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. is the director of regenerative medicine research at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: is a research acupuncturist; is a cardiology fellow; is director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Function Research Lab; is a research associate III; is a clinical research associate II; is a research scientist and assistant professor; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; and is a professor of medicine and the center director. All are located at Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. is the director of regenerative medicine research at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brantman
authors.affiliation: is a research acupuncturist; is a cardiology fellow; is director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Function Research Lab; is a research associate III; is a clinical research associate II; is a research scientist and assistant professor; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; and is a professor of medicine and the center director. All are located at Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. is the director of regenerative medicine research at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Xiuling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: is a research acupuncturist; is a cardiology fellow; is director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Function Research Lab; is a research associate III; is a clinical research associate II; is a research scientist and assistant professor; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; is an acupuncturist; and is a professor of medicine and the center director. All are located at Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. is the director of regenerative medicine research at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: C Noel Bairey
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Merz