Circulating endothelial progenitor cell levels are not reduced in HIV-infected men

Reduced levels of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk, but limited data are available on EPC levels in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected population. EPCs (CD45(dim)/CD34(+)/kinase domain receptor(+)) from 36 HIV-uninfected and 30 antiretroviral therapy-naive HIV-infected men without known CV risk factors were enumerated using flow cytometry. The mean EPC levels (± standard error of the mean) were 1.4 ± 0.5 cells/μL in the HIV-infected group and 3.7 ± 2.2 cells/μL in the control group (P = .92). EPC levels were not associated with disease parameters, such as CD4 cell count or viral load. Reductions in EPC levels do not seem to explain the increased risk of CV disease among HIV-infected men.