Increased serum levels of fractalkine and mobilisation of CD34+CD45− endothelial progenitor cells in systemic sclerosis

Table 3 Circulating endothelial biomarkers studied in univariate analysis

	Patients with SSc	Control subjects	P value
Endothelial cellular markers
EMPs, n/μl	93.5 [64.75–130.5]	33 [21– 46.5]	<0.0001***
CECs, n/ml	2 [1–8.5]	2.5 [0–16,5]	0.7677
PC subsets
CFU-ECs, n/10⁶ MNCs	11 [3–20.25]	3 [0.85–8]	0.0032**
CD34⁺ PCs, n/ml	2074.5 [1459.5–2578]	1555 [1225–1960]	0.0442*
CD34⁺CD45⁺ PCs, n/ml	1662 [1297.7–2134.2]	1485 [1117.5–1912.5]	0.4247
KDR⁺ PCs, n/ml	37 [5.5–100.5]	57.01 [27.5–96]	0.243
CD133⁺ PCs, n/ml	1185 [827–1456]	1287 [929.71–1705.13]	0.2463
CD34⁺CD45⁻ EPCs, n/ml	247 [74.2–508.2]	40 [0–82.5]	<0.0001***
Soluble endothelial markers
VEGF, pg/ml	57 [39–118]	42 [26–78.7]	0.0357*
Endothelin-1, pg/ml	1.68 [1.3–2.0]	1.2 [1.0–1.3]	<0.0001***
s-Fractalkine, pg/ml	465.45 [366.4–598.5]	186 [140.5–268.0]	<0.0001***

Abbreviations: EMP Endothelial microparticle, CEC Circulating endothelial cell, CFU-EC Colony-forming unit-endothelial cell, EPC Endothelial progenitor cell, KDR Kinas insert domain receptor, PC Progenitor cell, VEGF Vascular endothelial growth factor, s-Fractalkine Soluble fractalkine, MNC Mononuclear cell, SSc Systemic sclerosis * P < 0.05; 0.001 < **P < 0.01; *** P < 0.0005

ISSN: 1478-6362