Introduction & Hypothesis:
Diabetes mellitus patients’(DMP) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) regenerative capacity level is impaired. An
in vitro
evaluation of PBMNC pre/post vasculogenic conditioning (VC) facilitates the assessment of immune cells regenerative potential (H1) and possible cell therapy for DMP with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (H2).
Materials & Methods:
Eighteen DMP with the diagnosis of AMI enrolled. Blood drawn in heparin-coated syringes from AMI patients (between day 3 to 7) along with sixteen healthy control. Isolated PBMNC regenerative capability evaluated pre and post VC (
Fig 1
) with EPCs colony formation assay/unit (EPC-CFA/U) and flow cytometry analysis.
Results:
An
in vitro
EPC-CFA revealed that DMP fresh PBMNC derived definitive EPC (DEPC) decreased compared to control. The differentiation rate of EPC, definitive vs. primitive in control groups composed equal (50%, PEPC vs. 50%, DEPC) while in DMP, PEPC prevails (70% vs. 30%). After VC, DEPC-CFU markedly increased while PEPC-CFU decreased, indicating EPC qualitatively and quantitatively improvement in DMP (Control, PBMNC vs. VC P>0.001; DMP, PBMNC vs. VC, P>0.01). DMP glycoalbumin and Hb1Ac inversely correlated with CD34+ cells (r= -0.48, P>0.03) while VC recovered CD34+ cells (r= 0.17, P<0.54). ROC curve analysis also confirmed that the CD34+ cell number is an independent risk classifier of cardiac vessel lesion (AUC=0.85, P>0.002). In contrast, VC preserved from the senescence by expansion and differentiation of CD34+ (AUC=0.54, P<0.7). Proinflammatory M1 type significantly increased in DMP compared to Control (P>0.03), while VC shifted the M1 type phenotype toward M2 type (P>0001).
Conclusion:
Our EPC-CFA enables us to precisely assess impaired EPC function, while VC enhanced differentiation from PEPC toward DEPC. Furthermore, these methodologies facilitate the evaluation of RACs capacities such as EPC, M1/M2, and Treg cells in DMP with AMI for cell therapy.