Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells were Increased in Patients with Thin-Cap Fibroatheroma.
BACKGROUND
We used virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) to evaluate the relationship between circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA).


METHODS
This study included 52 patients with unstable angina who underwent coronary angiography and IVUS examination. Patients were divided into a TCFA group (n = 21) or a non-TCFA group (n = 31) based on VH-IVUS performance. Before angiography, peripheral blood levels of EPC were measured by flow cytometry. TCFA was defined as a necrotic core (NC) ≥ 10% of the plaque area without overlying fibrous tissue in the presence of ≥ 40% plaque burden.


RESULTS
Levels of circulating EPCs were 72.45 ± 31.73 (count/105) in the TCFA group and 23.93 ± 11.87 (count/ 105) (p < 0.01). Mean levels of CRP were 0.38 ± 0.21 mg/L in the TCFA group and 0.23 ± 0.17 mg/L (p < 0.01). Levels of EPCs correlated positively with necrotic core volume(r = 0.421, p = 0.005), CRP (r = 0.405, p = 0.011) and negatively with fibrous tissue volume(r = -0.411, p = 0.009). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, level of EPC (OR: 1.815, 95% CI: 1.12 - 2.798, p = 0.016), plaque burden (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.07 - 1.86, p = 0.027), and CRP (OR; 1.14, 95% CI: 0.74 - 1.56, p = 0.029) were independent predictors of TCFA.


CONCLUSIONS
Circulating EPCs were increased in patients with TCFA, level of EPCs could predict the presence of TCFA.
Qiang
Q
Tan
Qingsheng
Q
Wang
Shuangyue
S
Zhang
Ximing
X
Qi
Yang
Y
Li
D000368:Aged; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D066026:Endothelial Progenitor Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009336:Necrosis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D015854:Up-Regulation