Circulating endothelial cells as biomarker for cardiovascular diseases.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Endothelial dysfunction is involved in several cardiovascular diseases. Elevated levels of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and low levels of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been described in different cardiovascular conditions, suggesting their potential use as diagnostic biomarkers for endothelial dysfunction. Compared to typical peripheral blood leukocyte subsets, CECs and EPCs occur at very low frequency. The reliable identification and characterization of CECs and EPCs is a prerequisite for their clinical use, however, a validated method to this purpose is still missing but a key for rare cell events.

Objectives

To establish a validated flow cytometric procedure in order to quantify CECs and EPCs in human whole blood.

Methods

In the establ

SUBMITTER: Farinacci M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6332781 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature