circulating angiogenic factors in patients with thromboangiitis obliterans血栓闭塞性脉管炎患者循环血管生成因素.pdfVIP

Circulating Angiogenic Factors in Patients with Thromboangiitis Obliterans 1 1 1 2 1 1 Bernd Hewing *, Verena Stangl , Karl Stangl , Kathrin Enke-Melzer , Gert Baumann , Antje Ludwig ´ ¨ ¨ ¨ 1 Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Kardiologie und Angiologie, Campus Mitte, Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2 Klinik fur Gefaßmedizin, Helios Klinikum Emil von Behring, Berlin, Germany Abstract Background: Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO, also known as Buerger’s disease) is a non-atherosclerotic inflammatory vascular disease that primarily affects arteries in the extremities of young adult smokers. Since the etiology of TAO is still unknown, therapeutic options are limited. Recent attempts in therapeutic angiogenesis have been promising. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate angiogenic processes and factors including circulating progenitor cells in TAO. Methodology/Principal Findings: TAO patients with critical limb ischemia and age- and gender-matched nonsmokers and smokers without cardiovascular disease (n = 12 in each group) were enrolled in the study. Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood showed significantly decreased levels of circulating CD45dimCD34+ progenitor cells in TAO patients and in smokers compared to nonsmokers. In contrast to both control groups, the proportion of CD45dimCD34+ progenitor cells co- expressing VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR2) was significantly elevated in TAO patients. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of common angiogenic factors (such as VEGF) did not clearly point to pro- or antiangiogenic conditions