title: Permanent atrial fibrillation impairs the function of circulating endothelial progenitor cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to determine whether functions of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were impaired in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  METHODS
  35 patients with permanent AF (AF group) and 35 age and sex matched controls (control group) were collected. The numbers of circulating CD34+/KDR+cells were determined with flow cytometry in the two groups. Cell proliferation, tube formation, nitric oxygen (NO) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were assayed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the numbers of CD34+/KDR+cells were lower in the AF group than the control group (20.01 ± 12.66 /105vs 77.93 ± 58.93 /105，p = 0.022). Colony formation unit (CFU) of EPCs were decreased in AF group compared to the control group（1.76 ± 0.59 CFU vs 3.45 ± 0.82 CFU, p = 0.0000). The AF group had lower cell proliferation ability than control group（0.401 ± 0.113 A vs 0.558 ± 0.130 A, p = 0.004). Tube formation ability was decreased in AF patients compared to controls（434.30 ± 96.22μm/mm2vs 568.09 ± 196.17μm/mm2，p = 0.041). AF patients had lower VEGF secretion than controls (27.35 ± 9.93 ng/L vs 41.86 ± 7.31 ng/L，p = 0.001），they also had lower NO secretion than controls（16.55 ± 6.92μmol/l vs 23.65 ± 5.48，p = 0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  proliferation, tube formation and paracrine of EPCs were reduced in patients with permanent AF.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Qinhuangdao First Hospital, Hebei Medical University , Qinhuangdao , Hebei Province , China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Qinhuangdao First Hospital, Hebei Medical University , Qinhuangdao , Hebei Province , China.
authors.forename: Shuangyue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Qinhuangdao First Hospital, Hebei Medical University , Qinhuangdao , Hebei Province , China.
authors.forename: Ximing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Qinhuangdao First Hospital, Hebei Medical University , Qinhuangdao , Hebei Province , China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Qinhuangdao First Hospital, Hebei Medical University , Qinhuangdao , Hebei Province , China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D066026:Endothelial Progenitor Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2
keywords: Endothelial progenitor cell; angiogenesis; atrial fibrillation; nitric oxygen; paracrine