Increased number of circulating progenitor cells after implantation of ventricular assist devices
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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Induction of Endothelial Differentiation in Cardiac Progenitor Cells Under Low Serum Conditions
Published on: January 7, 2019
Athanassios Manginas1, Anastasia Tsiavou, Petros Sfyrakis
1Department of Cardiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece. nassoseft@yahoo.com
Background:
Bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells possess tissue repair potential, improving perfusion, left ventricular remodeling, and contractility in experimental models. We quantified and investigated the kinetics of 4 circulating progenitor cell sub-populations on the basis of CD34, CD133, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) antigen expression.
Methods:
CD34+, CD34+/CD133+/VEGFR-2-, CD34+/CD133+/VEGFR-2+, and CD34+/CD133-/VEGFR-2+ cells were counted in 10 male patients with end-stage congestive heart failure. Five underwent left ventricular/biventricular assist device (LVAD/BiVAD) implantation (VAD group), and 5 were ineligible for VAD implantation (no-VAD group). Peripheral blood was collected at 3 time points for each patient: before, 15, and 60 days after VAD placement in the VAD group and at the same time points in the no-VAD group. Purified CD34+ cells were stained with anti-CD34, anti-CD133, and anti-VEGFR-2 monoclonal antibodies and analyzed by flow cytometry. Serum levels of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin-8, vascular endothelial growth factor-alpha (VEGF-alpha), and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) were also measured.
Results:
In the VAD group the number of CD34+ cells/ml of blood tended to increase, from 159.6 +/- 137.0 at baseline to 428.9 +/- 224.3 at 15 days, and decreased to 343.8 +/- 165.7 at 60 days (p = 0.05 vs no-VAD group). In the other 3 cell populations, no significant differences occurred over time or between groups. A significant interaction between BNP levels and VAD status was observed (p = 0.005): BNP levels decreased over time in VAD patients vs no-VAD patients. G-CSF levels tended to decrease over time in both groups, but without a significant difference (p = 0.3). Serum levels of interleukin-8 and VEGF-alpha over time or between VAD and no-VAD patients were not significantly different.
Conclusions:
After VAD implantation, a transient increase occurs in the number of circulating CD34+ cells, in parallel to a reduction in BNP levels. Release of these cells from the bone marrow may contribute to the improvement of tissue perfusion and cardiac recovery occasionally seen after VAD placement.
