This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 2005-0255OCv1 34/3/257    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Peinado, V. I. Articles by Barberà, J. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Peinado, V. I. Articles by Barberà, J. A.

Identification of Vascular Progenitor Cells in Pulmonary Arteries of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Departments of Pulmonary Medicine and Pathology, Hospital Clinic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Dr. Joan A. Barberà, Servei de Pneumologia, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel, 170. 08036 Barcelona, Spain. E-mail: jbarbera{at}clinic.ub.es

Progenitor cells of bone marrow origin migrate to injured vessels, where they may contribute to endothelial maintenance and vessel remodeling through vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-related signals. To what extent progenitor cells may play a role in vascular changes occurring in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains undetermined. In this study we sought to identify vascular progenitor cells in pulmonary arteries of patients with COPD and to investigate whether the presence of these cells could be related to changes in endothelial function or the expression of VEGF. Pulmonary arteries of nine patients with COPD and six control subjects were studied. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated areas of denuded endothelium in the arteries of patients with COPD. Vascular progenitor cells were identified by immunohistochemistry and immunogold using antibodies against AC133, CD34, and CD45. AC133⁺ cells were localized in the endothelial surface, close to denuded areas. The number of AC133⁺ and CD45⁺ cells in pulmonary arteries was greater in patients with COPD than in control subjects. The number of AC133⁺ cells correlated with the response of pulmonary artery rings to hypoxic stimulus. AC133⁺ and CD45⁺ cells were also identified in the intimal layer. The wall thickness correlated with the number of progenitor cells in the intima and with VEGF and VEGF receptor-2 mRNA expression. We conclude that patients with COPD show an increased number of bone marrow–derived progenitor cells in pulmonary arteries. These cells seem to contribute to ongoing endothelial repair, but they might also be involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary vascular remodeling.

Key Words: cigarette smoking • endothelium • pulmonary hypertension • vascular remodeling

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. G. Frid, M. Li, M. Gnanasekharan, D. L. Burke, M. Fragoso, D. Strassheim, J. L. Sylman, and K. R. Stenmark Sustained hypoxia leads to the emergence of cells with enhanced growth, migratory, and promitogenic potentials within the distal pulmonary artery wall Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, December 1, 2009; 297(6): L1059 - L1072. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Toshner, R. Voswinckel, M. Southwood, R. Al-Lamki, L. S. G. Howard, D. Marchesan, J. Yang, J. Suntharalingam, E. Soon, A. Exley, et al. Evidence of Dysfunction of Endothelial Progenitors in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., October 15, 2009; 180(8): 780 - 787. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. L. Burke, M. G. Frid, C. L. Kunrath, V. Karoor, A. Anwar, B. D. Wagner, D. Strassheim, and K. R. Stenmark Sustained hypoxia promotes the development of a pulmonary artery-specific chronic inflammatory microenvironment Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, August 1, 2009; 297(2): L238 - L250. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. MacNee, J. Maclay, and D. McAllister Cardiovascular Injury and Repair in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Proceedings of the ATS, December 1, 2008; 5(8): 824 - 833. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. M. Majka, M. Skokan, L. Wheeler, J. Harral, S. Gladson, E. Burnham, J. E. Loyd, K. R. Stenmark, M. Varella-Garcia, and J. West Evidence for cell fusion is absent in vascular lesions associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, December 1, 2008; 295(6): L1028 - L1039. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. I. Peinado, S. Pizarro, and J. A. Barbera Pulmonary Vascular Involvement in COPD Chest, October 1, 2008; 134(4): 808 - 814. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Diez, J. A. Barbera, E. Ferrer, R. Fernandez-Lloris, S. Pizarro, J. Roca, and V. I. Peinado Plasticity of CD133+ cells: Role in pulmonary vascular remodeling Cardiovasc Res, December 1, 2007; 76(3): 517 - 527. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Yoshida and R. M. Tuder Pathobiology of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Physiol Rev, July 1, 2007; 87(3): 1047 - 1082. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Diez, V. I. Peinado, E. Ferrer, J. Ramirez, J. Roca, R. Rodriguez-Roisin, and J. A. Barbera Plasticity of vascular progenitor cells: Implications in pulmonary vascular remodelling in COPD Eur. Respir. Rev., December 1, 2006; 15(101): 209 - 210. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]