Abstract
Increasing evidence points to involvement of circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) in maintenance of the vasculature. On the other hand, daily salt intake is reportedly associated with vascular damage such as seen in atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. However, no study has investigated the association between circulating endothelial progenitor cells and salt intake in relation to vascular status. To investigate the association between EPCs (CD34-positive cells) and estimated total volume of daily urinary sodium excretion, which is known to be a marker of daily salt intake, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 94 elderly Japanese men aged 60-89 years who underwent general health checks. There was a slightly but significantly positive association between number of circulating CD34- positive cells and daily urinary sodium excretion especially for the participants without a history of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). A simple analysis of the relationship between these two variables yielded r=0.21 (P=0.039) for total subjects, r=0.29 (P=0.009) for participants without and r=0.18 (P=0.538) for participants with a history of CVD. This suggests that vascular damage due to a high daily intake of salt may stimulate EPC production in healthy elderly Japanese men especially in those without a history of CVD.
Highlights
Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), including CD34-positive cells, have been shown to contribute to maintenance of the vasculature [1]
No studies have been reported on the possible association between the number of circulating CD34-positive cells and estimated total volume of urinary sodium excretion which is a marker of daily salt intake
Several studies have reported that accumulation of smooth muscle cells plays a major role in atherosclerosis [9,10,11], while Miyamoto et al reported stem cell factor protein was produced in both human aortic endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells [12]
Summary
Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), including CD34-positive cells, have been shown to contribute to maintenance of the vasculature [1]. Findings concerning the relationship between the number of endothelial progenitor cells and atherosclerosis are contradictory. One Japanese study reported finding a strong inverse association between the number of circulating CD34-positive cells and frequency of cerebral infarction, but no relationship between the number of EPCs and degree of atherosclerosis [3]. Another study reported that the number of circulating endothelial progenitor cell numbers was significantly higher in patients with atherosclerotic intracranial artery stenosis [4]. No studies have been reported on the possible association between the number of circulating CD34-positive cells and estimated total volume of urinary sodium excretion which is a marker of daily salt intake
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