Evaluation of endothelial progenitor cell (CD34) as a marker of cardiovascular risk in children on regular hemodialysis.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) CD34 are bone marrow-derived cells that decrease in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients especially when they reach end-stage renal disease and may be a risk marker of cardiovascular (CV) diseases. The aim of our study is to investigate the endothelial progenitor cell CD 34 numbers in children with CKD on regular hemodialysis (HD) and detect their association with vascular stiffness. We recruited 25 children on regular HD, who were selected from the HD unit of Al-Zahraa Hospital, Al-Azhar University.