Gender and endothelial progenitor cell number in middle-aged adults

Stauffer, Brian L.; MacEneaney, Owen J.; Kushner, Erich J.; Cech, Jennifer N.; Greiner, Jared J.; Westby, Christian M.; DeSouza, Christopher A.

doi:10.1016/j.artres.2008.10.001

« PreviousArtery Research
Volume 2, Issue 4 , Pages 156-160, November 2008

Gender and endothelial progenitor cell number in middle-aged adults

Brian L. Stauffer
- Integrative Vascular Biology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado at Denver and the Health Sciences Center, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Denver, CO, USA
- Corresponding author. Integrative Vascular Biology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado at Boulder, UCB 436, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. Tel.: +1 303 724 5440; fax: +1 303 724 5450.
Owen J. MacEneaney
- Integrative Vascular Biology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
Erich J. Kushner
- Integrative Vascular Biology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
Jennifer N. Cech
- Integrative Vascular Biology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
Jared J. Greiner
- Integrative Vascular Biology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
Christian M. Westby
- Integrative Vascular Biology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
Christopher A. DeSouza
- Integrative Vascular Biology Laboratory, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado at Denver and the Health Sciences Center, Aurora, CO, USA

Received 13 August 2008; received in revised form 8 October 2008; accepted 9 October 2008. published online 14 November 2008.

Summary

Background

Between the ages of 45 and 65 years, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease is significantly lower in women compared with men. Circulating bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an important role in vascular repair. Reduced EPC number is predictive of more cardiovascular events. It is currently unknown whether there is a sex-difference in EPC number in middle-aged adults.

Objective

We tested the hypothesis that circulating EPC number is higher in middle-aged women than men.

Methods

Peripheral blood samples were collected from 58 sedentary adults, 29 men (57±1years) and 29 women (58±1years). Mononuclear cells were isolated and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of cells negative for CD45 was performed for those positive for CD34, and triple positive for CD34, VEGFR-2, and CD133 according to the recommendations of the International Society for Hematotherapy and Graft Engineering.

Results

The number of CD45⁻/CD34⁺ and CD45⁻/CD34⁺/VEGFR-2⁺/CD133⁺ was not significantly different between women and men (0.055±0.006% vs 0.069±0.008% and 0.0013±0.0003% vs 0.0018±0.0004%, respectively).

Conclusions

These results demonstrate no sex-difference in EPC number in middle-age adults. Therefore, it is unlikely that differences in EPC number contribute to the gender-related differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular events in this population.

Keywords: Endothelial progenitor cells, Gender, Endothelium