Haemostasis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Unit, University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Separate studies indicate that endothelial perturbation, as demonstrated by abnormal endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), circulating endothelial cells (CECs), and plasma markers such as von Willebrand factor (vWf) and soluble E selectin (sEsel) are present in cancer. However, there are no reports where these indices are compared. Accordingly, we hypothesized altered EPCs and CECs in prostate cancer that would correlate with vWf, sEsel, and prostate specific antigen (PSA).
We recruited 29 men with biopsy proven prostate cancer, with 25 with benign prostate disease and 27 free of prostate disease. CECs were defined on flow cytometry as being CD34+, CD146+, CD45-, and CD309-, EPCs were similarly defined as being CD34+, CD309+, CD45-, and CD146-. vWf, sEsel, and PSA were measured by immunoassay.
Despite higher PSA, sE-sel, and vWf in prostate cancer (all P < 0.02), neither EPCs, CECs, nor their ratio, were significantly different. EPCs and CECs correlated significantly with each other in each group (r > 0.48, P < 0.01) but failed to correlate with any plasma marker.
Unlike plasma endothelial markers, CECs and EPCs may play little part in the pathophysiology of early prostate cancer.
Written by:
Blann AD, Balakrishnan B, Shantsila E, Ryan P, Lip GY.
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Reference: Prostate. 2010 Dec 28. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1002/pros.21319
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 21190239
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