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Endothelial progenitor cells in adolescents: impact of overweight, age, smoking, sport and cytokines in younger age

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Abstract

Background and aims

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are bone marrow derived pluripotent vascular progenitor cells capable to contribute to reendothelialization and neovascularization. The number of circulating EPCs has been established as a biomarker of cardiovascular risk and is known to decrease with age. We determined the number of EPCs in teenagers and evaluated the influence of traditional risk factors focusing on overweight.

Methods

79 male adolescents were enrolled (age 13–17 years; 42 of normal weight: 64.1 ± 7.6 kg; 37 above the 90th BMI-percentile: 96.9 ± 20.5 kg). 41 healthy adults served as controls. EPCs were counted by flow cytometry (CD34+/−CD133/KDR). Besides traditional risk factors, cholesterol, and high sensitive CRP different cytokines were determined.

Results

Overweight adolescents have a higher systolic blood pressure, higher hsCRP, higher HbA(1c) and lower HDL. The number of CD34-negative EPCs, but not CD34-positive EPCs is higher in overweight adolescents. The overall level of EPCs is lower in adolescents compared to adults.

Conclusions

Overweight in adolescents influences EPCs in early life. CD34-negative EPCs might be more sensitive to the early risk profile and may represent a biological marker of occult vascular damage. Beginning insulin resistance, endothelial damage and elevation of EPCs could indicate the higher risk for future cardiovascular disease in obese teenagers.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Annett Schmidt for excellenct technical assistance. We also appreciate the support of Claudia Vilser and Niko Fiedler. CJ is supported by IZKF, Jena.

Conflict of interest

None declared.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic of Internal Medicine I, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany

    Christian Jung MD, Nicole Fischer, Michael Fritzenwanger MD, Markus Ferrari MD, Marlen Fabris, Bernhard R. Brehm MD, MBA & Hans R. Figulla MD

  2. Department of Cardiology, Karolinska-University-Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    Christian Jung MD

  3. Institute for Transfusion Medicine, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany

    Nicole Fischer, Hansjörg Thude PhD, Marlen Fabris & Dagmar Barz MD

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  1. Christian Jung MD
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Correspondence to Christian Jung MD.

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Jung, C., Fischer, N., Fritzenwanger, M. et al. Endothelial progenitor cells in adolescents: impact of overweight, age, smoking, sport and cytokines in younger age. Clin Res Cardiol 98, 179–188 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-008-0739-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-008-0739-5

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