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Updated: Jun 11, 2026
Generation and Culture of Blood Outgrowth Endothelial Cells from Human Peripheral Blood
Published on: December 23, 2015
Early outgrowth EPCs generation is reduced in patients with Buerger's disease
Yoshio Katsuki1, Ken-ichiro Sasaki, Yasuyuki Toyama
1Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Asahi-machi 67, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan.
Background:
Buerger's disease often shows poor collateral artery generation (i.e. neovascularization) in the ischemic limbs. However, the etiology has not yet been clarified. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) derived from bone marrow contribute to neovascularization in the multi-step process which includes the following capacities; mobilization, differentiation, adhesion, migration, invasion and secretion.
Materials And Methods:
We assessed EPCs capacities in vitro and ex vivo in age- and sex-matched controls (n = 12) and patients with Buerger's disease (n = 12), derived from peripheral blood-derived mononuclear cells (PB-MNCs).
Results:
In the flow cytometry analysis, the numbers of circulating EPC (CD34(+)/KDR(+) or CD133(+)/KDR(+) PB-MNC) were similar between controls and patients with Buerger's disease. Next, we cultured PB-MNC to obtain EPCs. The number of early outgrowth EPCs was significantly decreased in patients with Buerger's disease (p < 0.005), indicating the reduced generation of early outgrowth EPCs in Buerger's disease. However, adhesion, migration, invasion and secretion capacities were not impaired in patients with Buerger's disease.
Conclusions:
The early outgrowth EPCs generation is reduced in patients with Buerger's disease.
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