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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
Phenotypic and Functional Characterization of Endothelial Colony Forming Cells Derived from Human Umbilical Cord Blood
Published on: April 13, 2012
Comparative analysis of the predictive power of different endothelial progenitor cell phenotypes on cardiovascular
Shmuel Schwartzenberg1, Arnon Afek, Gideon Charach
1Shmuel Schwartzenberg, Jacob George, Department of Cardiology, Kaplan Medical Center, affiliated to the Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Insights
The CD34+CD133+ endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) phenotype predicts recurrent acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Other EPC markers like CD34+KDR+ and CD133+KDR+ did not show predictive power for cardiovascular events.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Stem Cell Biology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a crucial role in vascular repair.
- Identifying reliable EPC phenotypic markers is essential for predicting cardiovascular events.
- Previous studies have explored various EPC markers with inconsistent results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and compare the predictive capabilities of distinct endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) phenotypic markers.
- To determine which EPC phenotype best predicts future cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).
Main Methods:
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analyzed from 76 patients post-percutaneous coronary intervention for ACS.
- EPC phenotypes assessed included CD34+CD133+, CD34+KDR+, and CD133+KDR+.
- Follow-up for 24 months monitored cardiovascular mortality, recurrent ACS, and heart failure hospitalizations.
Main Results:
- The CD34+CD133+ EPC phenotype significantly predicted recurrent ACS (P = 0.034).
- CD34+KDR+ and CD133+KDR+ phenotypes did not demonstrate predictive value for recurrent ACS.
- No correlation was found between any EPC phenotype and the combined endpoint of all cardiovascular outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The CD34+CD133+ phenotype of EPCs is a significant predictor of future adverse cardiovascular outcomes, specifically recurrent ACS.
- CD34+KDR+ and CD133+KDR+ EPC phenotypes lack predictive power for cardiovascular events in this cohort.
- This study highlights the importance of specific EPC marker selection for risk stratification in cardiovascular disease.
Aim:
To compare the predictive power of different endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) phenotypic markers for future cardiovascular events.
Methods:
Peripheral blood was collected from 76 consecutive patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention in our institute. The various EPC phenotypes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were CD34+CD133+, CD34+KDR+, and CD 133+KDR+. The outcome endpoint included cardiovascular mortality, recurrent ACS, and hospitalization for decompensated heart failure during a 24-mo follow-up period.
Results:
CD34+CD133+ cells (P = 0.034), but not CD34+KDR+ (P = 0.35) or CD 133+KDR+ cells (P = 0.19), were found to predict recurrent ACS. We found no correlation between EPCs measured by any of the three phenotypic combinations of accepted CD markers and the total combination of these separate outcomes.
Conclusion:
The EPC CD34+CD133+ phenotype, but not the CD34+KDR+ or the CD 133+KDR+ phenotypes, is predictive of future adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
