Endovascular Interventions Permit Isolation of Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells from Peripheral Blood.

Background: Isolation of endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) is difficult due to the extremely low concentration of their precursors in the peripheral blood (PB). We hypothesized that mechanical injury to the arterial wall during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) may increase the release of circulating ECFC precursors and induce their growth in vitro.

Methods: PB samples from patients with coronary artery disease were collected before, immediately after, and 24 h after the surgery in the CABG group.