Endothelial progenitor cells in diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to its negative impact on the vascular endothelium. The damaged endothelium is repaired by resident cells also through the contribution of a population of circulating cells derived from bone marrow. These cells, termed endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are involved in maintaining endothelial homeostasis and contributes to the formation of new blood vessels with a process called postnatal vasculogenesis. The mechanisms whereby these cells allow for protection of the cardiovascular system are still unclear; nevertheless, consistent evidences have shown that impairment and reduction of EPCs are hallmark features of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, EPC alterations might have a pathogenic role in diabetic complications, thus becoming a potential therapeutic target. In this review, EPC alterations will be examined in the context of macrovascular and microvascular complications of diabetes, highlighting their roles and functions in the progression of the disease. © 2012 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Status of Bone Mineral Density in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Related Factors

“…Considering importance of osteoporosis in the individual's activity and increased risk of pathological fractures in the future, determining prevalence and risk factors of the problem in children with type 1 DM and necessary treatments for its reduction is essential (13). Previous studies showed that type 1 DM causes reduction of bone density and ossification markers and increasing bone loss markers, and BMD is a good indicator for detecting changes in bone quality (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20).…”

Preservation and Enumeration of Endothelial Progenitor and Endothelial Cells From Peripheral Blood for Clinical Trials

“…Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), a subtype of immature cells circulating in peripheral blood, since their detection [1,2] have generated significant attention as prognostic and diagnostic cellular biomarkers [3][4][5][6]. It is based on their role in repair of injured endothelium and the capacity to produce capillary networks, which was demonstrated for embryonic aorta [7], chorioallantoic membrane [8] and in experimental vessel injury/limb ischemia [9].…”

A reappraisal of the role of circulating (progenitor) cells in the pathobiology of diabetic complications

“…A review of such molecular pathways can be found elsewhere [110] and goes beyond the scope of the present manuscript. However, it is worth mentioning that investigations into the causes of the reduced number of CD34 + cells and EPCs in diabetes recently led to the discovery that diabetes strongly affects BM structure and function [111].…”