Circulating Endothelial Cells and Platelet Microparticles in Mitral Valve Disease With and Without Atrial Fibrillation.

Hypercoagulability in mitral valve disease (MVD), a cause of atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke, is potentially due to endothelial damage/dysfunction (marked by circulating endothelial cells [CECs]), platelet activation (soluble P-selectin [sPsel], platelet microparticles [PMPs], and soluble CD40 [sCD40]), and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) cholesterol. We measured these variables in 24 patients with MVD as well as in 21 with MVD + AF and compared them with 20 healthy controls (HCs). The CECs and PMPs were measured by flow cytometry; sPsel, oxLDL, and CD40 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.