Table 2.
Absolute number of stem cells and circulating endothelial progenitor cells in peripheral blood (cells per 106 lineage-negative mononuclear cells)
| Cells per 106 Lin- mononuclear cells | RA patients (n = 59) | Controls (n = 36) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lin-/7AAD-/CD34+/CD133+ | 0.0002 | ||
| Median (range) | 2,484 (213-26,613) | 1,068 (123-2,270) | |
| 25%-75% percentile | 1,141-5,943 | 610.5-1,575 | |
| Lin-/7AAD-/CD34+/VEGFR-2+ | 0.0026 | ||
| Median (range) | 259 (27-588) | 103 (11-1,105) | |
| 25%-75% percentile | 124-493 | 49.75-193.8 | |
| Lin-/7AAD-/CD133+/VEGFR-2+ | 0.0276 | ||
| Median (range) | 151 (45-964) | 125 (25-555) | |
| 25%-75% percentile | 93-387 | 99.25-192.8 | |
| Lin-/7AAD-/CD34+/CD133+/VEGFR-2+ (EPCs) | 0.0007 | ||
| Median (range) | 112 (27-588) | 60 (5-275) | |
| 25%-75% percentile | 53-227 | 26-109.8 | |
| Lin-/7AAD-/CD105+/CD133-/VEGFR-2+(CECs) | 0.1727 | ||
| Median (range) | 173 (12-989) | 139 (30-426)a | |
| 25%-75% percentile | 57-341 | 73-189 | |
| Ratio EPCs/CECs, median (range) | 1 (0.07-4.28) | 1 (0.2-2.02)a | 0.3946 |
aCirculating endothelial cell (CEC) number has been evaluated in 15 healthy controls. 7AAD, 7-aminoactinomycin D; DAS-28, 28-joint disease activity score; EPC, endothelial progenitor cell; Lin-, lineage-negative; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; VEGFR-2, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2.