Comparative Preliminary Analysis of Umbilical Cord Blood-, Healthy Adult Peripheral Blood- and Myocardial Infarct Peripheral Blood-Derived Endothelial Progenitor Cells

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death globally with the 287,000 deaths per years, characterized by declining of heart function caused by the reduction of heart capacity and lead to heart failure. Cell therapy using endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has a big potential for cardiovascular regeneration. EPCs are cells that have ability to differentiate into endothelial cells that can be mobilized and integrated into the defected blood vessel by angiogenesis.\r\nAIM: We aimed to seek the superior EPCs derived from MNCs for functional improvement of advanced heart failure patient by cell therapy using EPCs.\r\nMATERIALS AND METHODS: We did preliminary analysis to compare umbilical cord blood (UCB), healthy adult peripheral blood (PB)-, and myocardial infarct PB-derived EPCs characteristic and surface phenotypes. Different sources of each EPCs mononuclear cells were characterized by the expression of endothelial (cluster of differentiation [CD] 31, acethylated low-density lipoprotein, and von Willebrand) and hematopoietic stem cell (CD45, CD34, and CD133) surface markers with flow cytometry.\r\nRESULTS: In this study, EPCs and the conditioned medium (CM) have been produced and characterized in laboratory scale by comparing several sources of EPCs for instance UCB, PB from healthy people, and patients with myocardial infarction. We have shown that EPC characterizations from each group were not significantly different, but vascular endothelial growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor in UBC-derived CM-EPCs were higher than in PB.\r\nCONCLUSION: In conclusion, the UBC-derived EPCs might have a better potential for cardiovascular regeneration.