Association between circulating endothelial progenitor cells and hs-CRP in patients with diabetes
1. Megumi Koshikawa
1.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan, Division of Blood Transfusion, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
1. Atsushi Izawa
1.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
1. Takeshi Tomita
1.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
1. Setsuo Kumazaki
1.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
1. Jun Koyama
1.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
1. Shigetaka Shimodaira
1.
Division of Blood Transfusion, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
1. Uichi Ikeda
1.
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan,
uikeda@shinshu-u.ac.jp
Abstract
Aim
Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a critical role in maintaining endothelial function and might affect the progression of vascular disease. This study investigated the relationship between circulating EPCs and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with diabetes.
Methods
Our study population comprised 190 consecutive patients, with and without diabetes. To obtain EPC numbers, CD34+ and CD133+ cells in peripheral blood were counted by flow cytometry.
Results
Significantly higher hs-CRP levels were observed in patients with diabetes than in those without diabetes. However, the number of EPCs was significantly lower in diabetic patients and in patients with high hs-CRP levels. Patients with diabetes and high hs-CRP levels showed a marked decrease in the number of EPCs compared with non-diabetic patients with low hs-CRP levels.
Conclusion
These results suggest that inflammation leads to decreased circulating EPCs in patients with diabetes, which might be related to the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular disease.