Authors: Stefanie Keymel Christoph Kalka Tienush Rassaf Yerem Yeghiazarians Malte Kelm Christian Heiss
Publish Date: 2008/08/14
Volume: 103, Issue: 6, Pages: 582-
Abstract
Intimamedia thickness IMT was measured in the common carotid artery in our previously published groups of younger 25 ± 1 years n = 20 and older 61 ± 2 years n = 20 healthy nonsmoking volunteers without arterial hypertension hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus Endothelial progenitor cells EPCs KDR+/CD34+ and KDR+/CD133+ were counted in peripheral blood using flow cytometry In ex vivo expanded EPCs the function was determined as chemotaxis to VEGF proliferation and survivalWe observed thicker IMT in older as compared to younger subjects 068 ± 003 mm Vs 048 ± 002 mm P 0001 Importantly there were significant inverse univariate correlations between IMT EPC chemotaxis and survival r = −0466 P 005 r = −0463 P 001 No correlation was observed with numbers of circulating EPCs Multivariate regression analysis revealed that age mean arterial pressure and migration of EPCs were independent predictors of IMT R 2 = 058
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