Decreased circulating endothelial progenitor cell levels and function in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

• Published in: PloS one 2012-02, Vol.7 (2), p.e31799-e31799
• Main Authors: Chiang, Chia-Hung, Huang, Po-Hsun, Chung, Fa-Po, Chen, Zu-Yin, Leu, Hsin-Bang, Huang, Chin-Chou, Wu, Tao-Cheng, Chen, Jaw-Wen, Lin, Shing-Jong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adhesion tests; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis; Angiography; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Biology; Blood Cells; Blood circulation; Body mass; Body mass index; Bone marrow; Cardiac patients; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases; Care and treatment; Case-Control Studies; CD34 antigen; Cell Count; Cell migration; Cells (biology); Confidence intervals; Coronary artery; Coronary artery disease; Coronary heart disease; Cytometry; Development and progression; Diabetes; Endothelial Cells - pathology; Endothelium; Fatty liver; Fatty Liver - blood; Fatty Liver - pathology; Female; Flow cytometry; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Heart diseases; Humans; Hyperuricemia; Infarction; Insulin resistance; Liver; Liver diseases; Male; Medicine; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Middle Aged; Monomolecular films; Myocardial infarction; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Obesity; Osteoprogenitor cells; Patients; Peripheral blood; Progenitor cells; Regression analysis; Risk Factors; Statistical analysis; Stem Cells - pathology; Triglycerides; Ultrasound
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031799

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with advanced atherosclerosis and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Increasing evidence suggests that injured endothelial monolayer is regenerated by circulating bone marrow derived-endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), and levels of circulating EPCs reflect vascular repair capacity. However, the relation between NAFLD and EPC remains unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) might have decreased endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) levels and attenuated EPC function. A total of 312 consecutive patients undergoing elective coronary angiography because of suspected coronary artery disease were screened and received examinations of abdominal ultrasonography between July 2009 and November 2010. Finally, 34 patients with an ultrasonographic diagnosis of NAFLD, and 68 age- and sex-matched controls without NAFLD were enrolled. Flow cytometry with quantification of EPC markers (defined as CD34(+), CD34(+)KDR(+), and CD34(+)KDR(+)CD133(+)) in peripheral blood samples was used to assess circulating EPC numbers. The adhesive function, and migration, and tube formation capacities of EPCs were also determined in NAFLD patients and controls. Patients with NAFLD had a significantly higher incidence of metabolic syndrome, previous myocardial infarction, hyperuricemia, and higher waist circumference, body mass index, fasting glucose and triglyceride levels. In addition, patients with NAFLD had significantly decreased circulating EPC levels (all P