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Relation between endothelial progenitor cells and arterial stiffness in patients with psoriasis
Ju-Hua Liu1,2, Yan Chen1, Zhe Zhen1
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Insights
Patients with psoriasis have lower levels of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), which are linked to increased arterial stiffness. This reduction in EPC may contribute to atherosclerosis development in psoriasis patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Dermatology
- Immunology
Background:
- Psoriasis patients exhibit increased risk for premature atherosclerosis.
- Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) play a crucial role in vascular repair and homeostasis.
- Depletion of EPC may underlie the accelerated atherosclerosis observed in psoriasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the levels of circulating EPC subpopulations in patients with plaque-type psoriasis.
- To determine the association between EPC levels and markers of arterial stiffness in psoriasis.
- To explore the relationship between EPC levels and disease severity in psoriasis.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry was used to quantify four EPC subpopulations (CD34(+), CD133(+), CD34(+)/KDR(+), CD133(+)/KDR(+)).
- Arterial stiffness was assessed using heart to ankle pulse wave velocity (haPWV), augmentation index (AI), and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT).
- Thirty-five psoriasis patients and 20 healthy controls were included in the study.
Main Results:
- Psoriasis patients displayed significantly lower levels of CD34(+) EPC compared to healthy controls (P=0.02).
- CD34(+) EPC levels were negatively correlated with haPWV (r=-0.43, P=0.01) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (r=-0.39, P=0.02).
- Multivariate analysis confirmed that haPWV was independently associated with CD34(+) EPC levels in psoriasis patients.
Conclusions:
- Patients with psoriasis have reduced circulating CD34(+) EPC.
- Reduced CD34(+) EPC levels are independently associated with arterial stiffness (haPWV) in psoriasis.
- EPC depletion may be a contributing factor to the development of atherosclerosis in psoriasis.
Abstract:
Patients with psoriasis are prone to premature atherosclerosis. We hypothesize that depletion of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) is related to patients with psoriasis and can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Thirty-five plaque-type psoriasis patients (41.9 ± 5.5 years, 30 men) and 20 age- and sex-matched controls were studied. Four subpopulations of EPC, namely, CD34(+) EPC, CD133(+) EPC, CD34(+) /kinase insert domain-containing receptor (KDR)(+) EPC and CD133(+) /KDR(+) EPC were measured by flow cytometry. Arterial stiffness in psoriasis patients was assessed by heart to ankle pulse wave velocity (haPWV), augmentation index (AI) and carotid intima media thickness (IMT). Patients with psoriasis had a lower level of CD34(+) EPC (7.85 ± 2.49% vs 6.26 ± 2.13%, P = 0.02) compared with healthy controls. In patients with psoriasis, level of CD34(+) EPC was negatively related with haPWV (r = -0.43 P = 0.01) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (r = -0.39 P = 0.02). Multivariate regression analysis further demonstrated that haPWV was independently associated with level of CD34(+) EPC. Each percentage decrease in CD34(+) EPC accounted for an increase in haPWV of +0.02 m/s. The result demonstrated that patients with psoriasis had reduced CD34(+) EPC compared with controls. Importantly, CD34(+) EPC was independently related with haPWV in these patients. This finding suggests that EPC reduction is associated with the development of arterial stiffness in patients with psoriasis.
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