CD133+ cells in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Cell Biology
• Pulmonary Medicine

Background:

• Circulating mononuclear cells are implicated in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) vascular remodeling.
• Previous studies on progenitor populations in PAH are limited and yield inconsistent findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively analyze circulating mononuclear cell progenitor populations in PAH patients.
• To investigate the role of CD133(+) cells in lung tissue of PAH patients.

Main Methods:

• Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of mononuclear cells from 20 PAH patients and 20 controls.
• Analysis of CD133(+) cells in lung tissue from 5 PAH transplant recipients and 5 healthy controls.

Main Results:

• PAH patients showed increased circulating CD133(+) cells and lymphopenia.
• Specific CD133(+) subpopulations (CD117+, CD45+) were elevated in PAH, while others (CD309+, CXCR2+, CD31+) were decreased.
• Lung tissue CD133(+) cells comprised type 2 pneumocytes, monocytes, and undifferentiated cells, with no significant differences between PAH and controls.

Conclusions:

• Elevated circulating CD133(+) progenitor cells in PAH exhibit diverse phenotypic subpopulations.
• The heterogeneity of these circulating progenitor cells may account for previous inconsistent research outcomes.
• Lung CD133(+) type 2 pneumocytes are not directly linked to circulating CD133(+) mononuclear cells in PAH.