High-reproducible flow cytometric endothelial progenitor cell determination in human peripheral blood as CD34+/CD144+/CD3- lymphocyte sub-population

J Immunol Methods. 2008 Jun 1;335(1-2):21-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jim.2008.02.011. Epub 2008 Mar 19.

Abstract

Although determination of circulating endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) in peripheral blood by flow cytometry is an emerging marker for cardiovascular medicine, a common standardized protocol is still not available, due to the low numbers achieved in peripheral blood. In the present paper we describe a novel technique for EPC quantification as CD34+/CD144+/CD3- cells within the lymphocyte gate, which increases the percentages of EPC positivity described before and also offers high intra-assay reproducibility. These improvements are based on a gating strategy for big-sized lymphocytes, smooth fixation and cytometric clearance of CD3+ lymphocytes (T-cells). This last procedure is able to increase intra-assay Pearson's correlation from 0.8517 to 0.8908. Therefore, the technical setting described here offers a high-performance and clinically oriented EPC determination strategy in human peripheral blood.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, CD / analysis*
  • Antigens, CD34 / analysis*
  • CD3 Complex / analysis*
  • Cadherins / analysis*
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Shape
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Endothelial Cells / immunology*
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry*
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping / methods*
  • Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Phenotype
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Stem Cells / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Antigens, CD34
  • CD3 Complex
  • Cadherins
  • cadherin 5