Enhanced angiogenic capability of monocyte-enriched mononuclear cell suspensions from patients with systemic...

Different subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) from 15 patients with systemic scleroderma were tested for their ability to evoke angiogenesis in a xenogenic system. The angiogenic capability of total MNC from patients with systemic scleroderma was lower than that of normal human cells, irrespective of the form of the disease. However, the capability of a monocyte-enriched subset of MNC from patients with scleroderma was found to be increased, as compared with their total MNC and with that of the corresponding subset from healthy individuals. This might be due to the activation of monocytes in the disease.