Summary
Normal adults have very few circulating endothelial cells (CECs) in their blood, but
increased levels have been shown in association with conditions associated with endothelial
damage such as myocardial infarction and stroke. As atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated
with a hypercoagulable state and abnormalities of plasma indices of endothelial damage/dysfunction,
we hypothesised that CECs would also be raised in this condition, and would correlate
with these plasma markers. We measured CECs (by immunofluoresence) as an indicator
of frank endothelial damage, alongside 3 plasma indices of endothelial perturbation:
von Willebrand factor (vWf), soluble E-selectin and soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) (all
ELISA) in 28 patients with chronic ‘stable’ AF, 63 patients with AF plus an acute
cardiovascular or cerebrovascular event as positive controls, and 20 healthy subjects
in sinus rhythm as negative controls. Chronic ‘stable’AF patients had significantly
higher levels of plasma vWf (p<0.001),but comparable numbers of CECs (p=0.1638) in
comparison to healthy controls. In patients with AF associated with an acute cardiovascular
or cerebrovascular event, levels of CECs (p<0.0001) and sTM (p=0.004), but not vWf
or sEsel, were significantly increased in comparison to chronic‘stable’AF patients.
Patients with uncomplicated AF have abnormal systemic endothelial damage/dysfunction,
as evident by increased plasma vWf levels, but normal numbers of CECs, compared to
subjects in sinus rhythm. However, following clinical complications, such as stroke
or significant haemodynamic compromise, further endothelial disturbance (as indicated
by high levels of sTM and CECs) suggests additional endothelial damage.
Keywords
Circulating endothelial cells - endothelial damage - soluble E-selectin - soluble
thrombomodulin - von Willebrand factor - atrial fibrillation