Evaluation of the circulating CD34(+), CD309(+), and endothelial progenitor cells in patients with first attack of optic neuritis

Masoud Etemadifar; Leila Dehghani; Hamid Ganji; Reza Soleimani; Maedeh Talebi; Nahid Eskandari; Fazel Sahraneshin Samani; Rokhsareh Meamar

doi:10.4103/2277-9175.161578

Evaluation of the circulating CD34(+), CD309(+), and endothelial progenitor cells in patients with first attack of optic neuritis

Adv Biomed Res. 2015 Jul 27:4:151. doi: 10.4103/2277-9175.161578. eCollection 2015.

Authors

Masoud Etemadifar¹, Leila Dehghani², Hamid Ganji³, Reza Soleimani⁴, Maedeh Talebi⁵, Nahid Eskandari⁶, Fazel Sahraneshin Samani⁷, Rokhsareh Meamar²

Affiliations

¹ Isfahan Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Research Center, Isfahan Eye Research Center, Ophthalmology Ward, Feiz Hospital, Isfahan, Iran.
² Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, AlZahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran.
³ Alzahra Hospital Management, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁴ Department of Biology, Payam Noor University, Isfahan, Iran.
⁵ Biochemistry Labratory, Isfahan Al-Zahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran.
⁶ Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
⁷ Department of Stem Cells, Royan Institute, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are present in circulation and contribute to vasculogenesis in adults. The aim of the present study was to determine the number of circulating EPCs in patients with optic neuritis (ON).

Materials and methods: Fifty patients with ON were diagnosed by expert neurologist and optometrist at the Feiz Hospital, Isfahan, Iran (2012-2013). Blood samples were collected from ON patients in the first attack. The number of EPCs was measured by flow cytometry through the assessment of CD34(+) and CD309(+) in patients and healthy individuals.

Results: With using flow cytometry, CD34(+) and CD309(+) cells detected in peripheral blood cells of patients (n = 50) with ON, and healthy individuals (n = 30). Patients with ON had (mean = 66.71 ± 17.82) CD34(+) and CD309(+) cells compared with healthy controls (mean = 28.72 ± 22.46). In addition, there was no significant difference in CD309(+) cells in both groups.

Conclusion: This study showed elevated CD34(+) and CD309(+) cells in the early stage of the disease. Regarded to EPC increment in neural repair, it expected the EPC level be increased in these patients, but no detectable differences were observed among both markers in healthy and patient with first attack.

Keywords: CD309+; CD34+; endothelial progenitor cells; optic neuritis.