[Significance of bone marrow endothelial progenitor cells in disturbance of angiogenesis and endothelial dysfunction in systemic scleroderma].

The study is aimed to investigate the process of endothelial repair related to endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) in systemic sclerosis (SS), and analyze the role of EPC abnormalities in endothelial dysfunction and impaired angiogenesis. Correlation between EPC circulating levels, measured by flowcytometry, and peripheral vascular manifestations, cardiac involvement, carotid artery disease, Framingham risk factor score, endothelial function and morphological signs of microangiopathy is explored. Our data demonstrate, that EPC reduction with disease progression is closely linked with endothelial dysfunction and destructive microangiopathy, and significantly contribute into development of severe cardiac disease and pulmonary hypertension in SS patients.

[Vascular pathology in systemic scleroderma].

The mechanisms of vascular lesions in systemic scleroderma (SSC) are still little studied with the current comprehensive investigations being focused on this issue. The results of a study dealing with the structural-and-morphological and molecular reasons of sclerodermic micro-angiopathy as compared with the variations and pattern of the clinical disease course are summarized in the article. The structural capillary changes were evaluated on the basis of the results of a wide-field video-capillaroscopy of the nail bed (CNB).