Changes In The Number Of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells In Patients With Coronary Slow Flow

BackgroundCoronary slow flow (CSF) phenomenon was first proposed by Tambe in1972, then it was gradually well known to interventional cardiologists with the popularity of coronary angiography. It was reported that, about1%population have CSF phenomenon in patients underwent coronary angiography, another reserch reported that coronary angiography found about7%population have CSF phenomenon in the patients with suspected cardiovascular disease. CSF phenomenon can cause myocardial ischemia, the patients can have exertional angina pectoris or acute coronary syndrome (ACS), about20%of the patients need repeated hospitalization, it can happen malignant arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death when serious, but its pathogenesis is still not clear. Some foreign studies suggested that the patients with CSF had endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction may be a pathological mechanism of CSF. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are precursores of the vascular endothelial cells, they can propagate and repair the damaged endothelial cells, when the endothelial cells are damaged, EPCs are released into the peripheral blood, proliferate and differentiate, migrate and integrate to the endothelial injuried parts, participate in endothelial repair process, which is due to the reduction of the number of EPCs itself, so the number of EPCs peripheral blood in a certain extent reflects various factors on endothelial cell damage. Based on the study above, we want to investigate the pathogenesis of CSF through counting the number of circulating EPCs in patients with CSF.ObjectiveTo investigate the changes of circulating endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs) from peripheral blood in patients with coronary slow flow(CSF).MethodsTwenty six CSF patients (CSF group) and20normal CAG patients served as control group(NCF group) were selected in this study. CSF was diagnosed when the corrected TIMI frame count(CTFC) was more than27frames. Peripheral blood samples were drawn to isolate and culture EPCs,respectively. EPCs populations were assessed using the colony forming unit assay(EPC-CFU) through an inverted phase contrast microscope after10days culture.ResultsThere were no significant differences in age, sex, smoking history, hypertension,diabetes mellitus, family histoy of coronary heart disease and lipid profile between2groups(P>0.05);the level of circulating EPCs in CSF group was lower than that in NCF group(11.3±2.9vs.17.1±2.4,P<0.05).ConclusionCircualting EPCs populations are lower in CSF patients.