Arica Deniz Aksu, Akşan Burak, Örem Asim, Altinkaynak Buket Akcan, Yayli Savaş, Sönmez Mehmet
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
An Bras Dermatol. 2019 Jul 29;94(3):320-326. doi: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20198169.
Behçet's disease is a multisystemic vasculitis, associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction. Currently, the prognosis is unpredictable, because there is still no valid laboratory marker indicating the disease activity in Behçet's disease. Endothelial progenitor cells and circulating endothelial cells are newly introduced hematological markers which are presumed to take part in the pathogenesis of vasculitis.
To evaluate the levels of endothelial progenitor cells and subtypes and circulating endothelial cells in patients with Behçet's disease and to describe their relationship with the disease activity.
A total of 45 patients with Behçet's disease and 28 healthy controls were included in the study. Endothelial progenitor cells (CD34+CD133+KDR+ as early endothelial progenitor cells and CD34+KDR+ as late endothelial progenitor cells), and circulating endothelial cells (CD34+CD133+) were measured by flow cytometry.
The mean plasma level of endothelial progenitor cells and circulating endothelial cells, vascular endothelial growth factor, matrix metalloproteinase-9, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were significantly higher in patients with Behçet's disease. All of these parameters except circulating endothelial cells were also found to be higher in patients with active disease than in patients with inactive disease. Early endothelial progenitor cells showed significant correlations with C-reactive protein and circulating endothelial cells.
The cross-sectional nature of the study and patient characteristics such as being under treatment, which can affect endothelial progenitor cells numbers.
The increase in endothelial progenitor cells may play an essential role in the repair of endothelial injury in Behçet's disease, especially in the active period of the disease. Thus, endothelial progenitor cells can indicate the disease activity. In addition, endothelial progenitor cells and circulating endothelial cells can be used as endothelial repair and injury markers for Behçet's disease, respectively.
白塞病是一种多系统血管炎，与血管内皮功能障碍相关。目前，其预后难以预测，因为仍没有有效的实验室指标可指示白塞病的疾病活动度。内皮祖细胞和循环内皮细胞是新引入的血液学标志物，被认为参与了血管炎的发病机制。
评估白塞病患者内皮祖细胞及其亚型和循环内皮细胞的水平，并描述它们与疾病活动度的关系。
本研究共纳入45例白塞病患者和28例健康对照。通过流式细胞术检测内皮祖细胞（早期内皮祖细胞为CD34+CD133+KDR+，晚期内皮祖细胞为CD34+KDR+）和循环内皮细胞（CD34+CD133+）。
白塞病患者内皮祖细胞、循环内皮细胞、血管内皮生长因子、基质金属蛋白酶-9、C反应蛋白和红细胞沉降率的平均血浆水平显著更高。除循环内皮细胞外，所有这些参数在活动期患者中也高于非活动期患者。早期内皮祖细胞与C反应蛋白和循环内皮细胞显著相关。
本研究的横断面性质以及患者接受治疗等特征可能会影响内皮祖细胞数量。
内皮祖细胞的增加可能在白塞病内皮损伤修复中起重要作用，尤其是在疾病活动期。因此，内皮祖细胞可指示疾病活动度。此外，内皮祖细胞和循环内皮细胞可分别用作白塞病内皮修复和损伤的标志物。
