Short communication high risk of endothelial dysfunction in HIV individuals may result from deregulation of circulating endothelial cells and endothelial progenitor cells.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and circulating endothelial cells (CEC) have recently been considered as biomarkers of cardiovascular risk (CVDR) in healthy subjects. The impact of HIV infection on these cells is not well known. A case-control study was conducted in 15 antiretroviral-naive HIV(+) patients and 15 HIV-negative controls. The quantitative profile of CEC and EPC differed significantly in HIV(+) and HIV(-) subjects. HIV(+) subjects had significantly more CEC and less EPC than HIV(-) controls. A quantitative impairment in the balance of the CEC and EPC might contribute to the increased subclinical CVDR in HIV(+) patients.