Functional implications of IgG anti-endothelial cell antibodies in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The objective of this study was to research the functionality of anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by assessing the effects of IgG from AECA-positive PAH patients on the induction of adhesion molecules on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by HUVECs. To achieve this purified IgG from 28 PAH patients were included. IgG from systemic sclerosis (SSc) (n = 58) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (n = 16) patients without PAH were included as disease controls.

Immunoglobulin G anti-endothelial cell antibodies: inducers of endothelial cell apoptosis in pulmonary arterial hypertension?

Endothelial cell (EC) apoptosis seems to play an important role in the pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We aimed to test the hypothesis that circulating anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) of PAH patients induce EC apoptosis. Immunoglobulin (Ig)G was purified from sera of PAH patients (n = 26), patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) nephritis without PAH (n = 16), patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) without PAH (n = 58) and healthy controls (n = 14).

Angiogenic T-cells and putative endothelial progenitor cells in hypertension-related cerebral small vessel disease.

Background And Purpose: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) may be caused by endothelial dysfunction, whereas endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) may attenuate endothelial dysfunction. Their vitality is lower in CSVD. A subset of lymphocytes, angiogenic T-cells, is capable to stimulate EPC function.

Haptoglobin phenotype may alter endothelial progenitor cell cluster formation in cerebral small vessel disease.

Cerebral small vessel disease results in silent ischemic lesions (SIL) among which is leukoaraiosis. In this process, endothelial damage is probably involved. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), are involved in endothelial repair.