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Endothelial injury and repair in systemic vasculitis of the young

L A Clarke1, Y Hong, D Eleftheriou

  • 1Institute of Child Health, University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital National Health Service Trust, London, UK. l.clarke@imperial.ac.uk

Arthritis and Rheumatism
|February 24, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Biomarkers for endothelial injury and repair, including circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and endothelial microparticles (EMPs), are elevated in children with active vasculitis. These markers, along with endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), can help monitor disease activity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Rheumatology
  • Vascular Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Endothelial injury is a key factor in vasculitis pathogenesis.
  • Understanding endothelial cell dynamics is crucial for managing pediatric systemic vasculitis (PSV).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate changes in endothelial injury and repair markers during active and inactive stages of childhood PSV.
  • To compare endothelial cell dynamics in children with PSV to controls and to adult vasculitis patients.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed biomarkers including endothelial microparticles (EMPs), circulating endothelial cells (CECs), angiogenic growth factors (VEGF, Ang-2), and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in 50 children with PSV.
  • Utilized flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for biomarker analysis.
  • Included pediatric inflammatory disease controls, healthy pediatric controls, and healthy adult controls.

Main Results:

  • Significantly elevated levels of CD144+ EMPs, CECs, VEGF, and EPCs were observed in children with active vasculitis compared to healthy children.
  • Biomarker levels decreased with remission-inducing therapy.
  • Treatment-naive patients showed higher VEGF and Ang-2 levels than treated patients, while CECs and EMPs remained elevated in both groups.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated CECs, EMPs, EPCs, VEGF, and Ang-2 indicate active vasculitis in children.
  • Endothelial progenitor cell responses in pediatric vasculitis differ from adult patterns.
  • CECs and EMPs show potential as reliable markers for monitoring disease activity in pediatric vasculitis.
Abstract

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