Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate the change of count and the status of cellular senescence in fetal endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) obtained from the umbilical cord blood of women with fetal growth restriction (FGR).
Methods: Fetal EPCs were obtained from thirty five normal and thirty pregnant women with FGR. Each EPC was characterized and counted. EPC differentiation time and outgrowth endothelial cell (OEC) colony formation assay, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity assay, and telomerase activity assay were performed.
Results: Fetal EPC counts were significantly decreased in the FGR group compared with normal controls. In the FGR group, the EPC differentiation time was prolonged, OEC colonies were much less formed, the staining intensity of SA-β-gal was relatively increased and the telomerase activity of EPCs was significantly decreased, compared with normal pregnancy (p < 0.001 for all).
Conclusions: The fetal EPCs in FGR pregnancies were decreased, functionally impaired and senescently altered.