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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
Isolation and Identification of Vascular Endothelial Cells from Distinct Adipose Depots for Downstream Applications
Published on: June 10, 2022
Circulating activated endothelial cells in pediatric obesity
Aaron S Kelly1, Robert P Hebbel, Anna N Solovey
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. kelly105@umn.edu
Insights
Pediatric obesity activates vascular endothelium, especially in severely obese children. Circulating endothelial cell (CEC) counts and activation increase with excess adiposity and elevated blood pressure in children and adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Cardiovascular Research
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Pediatric obesity is a growing health concern with potential long-term cardiovascular implications.
- The vascular endothelium plays a critical role in cardiovascular health, and its dysfunction is an early marker of disease.
- Understanding endothelial activation in pediatric obesity is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize vascular endothelial state in pediatric obesity.
- To compare circulating endothelial cell (CEC) number and activation in severely obese children versus normal weight, overweight, and obese children.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical examination of buffy-coat smears to enumerate CEC.
- Immunofluorescence microscopy to quantify activated CEC in 107 children and adolescents.
- Comparison of CEC in normal weight, overweight, obese, and severely obese groups, with adjustments for covariates.
Main Results:
- Activated CEC increased significantly with higher body mass index (BMI) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) quartiles.
- CEC number and activated CEC were highest in the severely obese group.
- CEC number correlated with SBP, diastolic blood pressure, and triglycerides; activated CEC correlated with SBP and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Conclusions:
- The vascular endothelium shows activation in relation to excess adiposity, particularly in severely obese children.
- Elevated SBP is associated with endothelial activation in children and adolescents.
- Findings highlight the impact of obesity and hypertension on endothelial health in pediatric populations.
Objective:
We characterized the state of the vascular endothelium in pediatric obesity by comparing circulating endothelial cell (CEC) number and activation phenotype in severely obese children to that of normal weight, overweight, and obese children.
Study Design:
We used immunohistochemical examination of buffy-coat smears to enumerate CEC and immunofluorescence microscopy to quantify activated CEC in 107 children and adolescents. Normal weight (body mass index [BMI]<85th percentile; n=40), overweight (BMI 85th-<95th percentile; n=17), and obese (BMI 95th-<99th percentile; n=23) participants were recruited from a longitudinal study. Severely obese (BMI>or=99th percentile; n=27) participants were recruited from a pediatric obesity clinic. Group means (adiposity; systolic blood pressure [SBP] quartiles) were compared with general linear models, adjusted for sex, age, and race. With Pearson correlations, we characterized relations of CEC with cardiovascular risk factors.
Results:
Activated CEC increased across BMI groups (P<.002) and SBP quartiles (P<.05). CEC number and activated CEC were highest in the severely obese group. CEC number was significantly associated with SBP, diastolic blood pressure, and triglycerides level. Activated CEC were significantly associated with SBP and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
Conclusions:
The vascular endothelium was activated in relation to excess adiposity, particularly in severely obese children, and to elevated SBP in children and adolescents.
