title: Number and function of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with primary Budd-Chiari syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Primary Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is associated with vascular endothelial injury. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) provide an endogenous mechanism to repair endothelial injury. This study investigated the levels and functionality of EPCs in patients with primary BCS.
  
  
  METHODS
  EPCs (CD34+/CD133+/KDR+) were quantified in 82 patients with primary BCS (inferior vena cava type: n=19; hepatic vein type: n=22; and mixed type: n=41), 10 cirrhosis controls (CC group) and 10 age-matched healthy controls (HC group), using flow cytometry. EPCs proliferation was detected by MTT assay, adhesion by adhesion activity assay, and migration capacity by Transwell assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EPCs levels were significantly lower in the BCS group (0.020±0.005%) than in the CC and HC groups (0.260±0.201%, 0.038±0.007%; P<0.001 for each). EPCs cultured in vitro from BCS and CC groups had, respectively, lower proliferation activity (0.20±0.04, 0.23±0.06 vs 0.58±0.07, each P<0.001), adhesion activity (15.8±1.7, 18.2±4.3 vs 35.0±2.5 cells/random microscopic field (RMF), each P<0.001) and migration activity (16.1±1.5, 16.7±3.0 vs 23.9±2.0 cells/RMF, each P<0.001) than in the HC group. EPCs functionality did not significantly differ between the BCS and CC groups. The numbers and functions of EPCs did not significantly differ among patients with inferior vena cava type, hepatic vein type and mixed type of BCS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with primary BCS had lower EPCs levels, with less proliferation, adhesion and migration activities. These findings suggest that lower levels of less functional EPCs may be associated with venous occlusion in primary BCS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College, No. 99 Huaihai West Road, 221006 Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College, No. 99 Huaihai West Road, 221006 Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. Electronic address: 1427286069@qq.com.
authors.forename: Qingqiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College, No. 99 Huaihai West Road, 221006 Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Qianxin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College, No. 99 Huaihai West Road, 221006 Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Maoheng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zu
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College, No. 99 Huaihai West Road, 221006 Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical College, 221006 Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China; Key Laboratory of Bone Marrow Stem Cell, 221006 Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Lingyu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006502:Budd-Chiari Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D066026:Endothelial Progenitor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000473:pathology