Identification of circulating CD90 CD73 cells in cirrhosis of liver.

Aim: To identify circulating CD90(+) CD73(+) CD45(-) cells and evaluate their in vitro proliferating abilities.

Methods: Patients with cirrhosis (n = 43), and healthy volunteers (n = 40) were recruited to the study. Mononuclear cells were isolated and cultured from the peripheral blood of controls and cirrhosis patients. Fibroblast-like cells that appeared in cultures were analyzed for morphological features, enumerated by flow cytometry and confirmed by immunocytochemistry (ICC). Colony forming efficiency (CFE) of these cells was assessed and expressed as a percentage.

Results: In comparison to healthy volunteers, cells obtained from cirrhotic patients showed a significant increase (P < 0.001) in the percentage of CD90(+) CD73(+) CD45(-) cells in culture. Cultured cells also showed 10 fold increases in CFE. Flow cytometry and ICC confirmed that the proliferating cells expressed CD90(+) CD73(+) in the cultures from cirrhosis patients.

Conclusion: These results indicate the presence of circulating CD90(+) CD73(+) CD45(-) cells in patients with liver cirrhosis that have the potential to proliferate at a higher rate.