Endothelial Progenitor Cells Predict Cardiovascular Events after Atherothrombotic Stroke and Acute Myocardial Infarction. A PROCELL Substudy.
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine prognostic factors for the risk of new vascular events during the first 6 months after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or atherothrombotic stroke (AS). We were interested in the prognostic role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and circulating endothelial cells (CEC). METHODS: Between February 2009 and July 2012, 100 AMI and 50 AS patients were consecutively studied in three Spanish centres. Patients with previously documented coronary artery disease or ischemic strokes were excluded. Samples were collected within 24h of onset of symptoms. EPC and CEC were studied using flow cytometry and categorized by quartiles. Patients were foll…
Mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells in acute cardiovascular events in the PROCELL study: Time-course after acute myocardial infarction and stroke
The mobilization pattern and functionality of endothelial progenitor cells after an acute ischemic event remain largely unknown. The aim of our study was to characterize and compare the short- and long-term mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells and circulating endothelial cells after acute myocardial infarction or atherothrombotic stroke, and to determine the relationship between these cell counts and plasma concentrations of vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) and Von Willebrand factor (VWF) as surrogate markers of endothelial damage and inflammation. In addition, we assessed whether endothelial progenitor cells behave like functional endothelial cells. We included 150 patients…