Brief Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Apr 21, 2011; 17(15): 2044-2048
Published online Apr 21, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i15.2044
Apoptotic bone marrow CD34+ cells in cirrhotic patients
Shuang-Suo Dang, Wen-Jun Wang, Ning Gao, Shun-Da Wang, Mei Li, La-Yang Liu, Ming-Zhun Sun, Tao Dong
Shuang-Suo Dang, Wen-Jun Wang, Ning Gao, Shun-Da Wang, Mei Li, La-Yang Liu, Ming-Zhu Sun, Department of Infectious Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Xi’an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi Province, China
Tao Dong, MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Dang SS, Wang WJ, Gao N, Wang SD, Liu LY, Sun MZ, and Dong T designed the research; Gao N, Li M, Wang WJ and Wang SD performed the research; Dang SS and Liu LY provided the reagents; Dang SS, Wang WJ and Wang SD analyzed the data; Dang SS, Wang WJ, Wang SD and Dong T wrote the paper.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.30670961
Correspondence to: Shuang-Suo Dang, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Chief of Department of Infectious Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Xi’an Jiaotong University, 157 Xiwu Road, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi Province, China. dang212@126.com
Telephone: +86-29-87679688 Fax: +86-29-87679688
Received: August 13, 2010
Revised: December 9, 2010
Accepted: December 16, 2010
Published online: April 21, 2011
Abstract

AIM: To access the frequency and level of apoptotic CD34+ cells isolated from the marrow fluid of patients with post-hepatitis cirrhosis.

METHODS: The frequency of bone marrow CD34+ cells and apoptotic bone marrow CD34+ cells in 31 in-patients with post-hepatitis cirrhosis (cirrhosis group), and 15 out-patients without liver or blood disorders (control group) was calculated by flow cytometry. Parameters were collected to evaluate liver functions of patients in cirrhosis group.

RESULTS: The percentage of normal bone marrow CD34+ cells was 6.30% ± 2.48% and 1.87% ± 0.53% (t = 3.906, P < 0.01) while that of apoptotic marrow CD34+ cells was 15.00% ± 15.81% and 5.73% ± 1.57% (t = 2.367, P < 0.05) in cirrhosis and control groups, respectively. The percentage of apoptotic marrow CD34+ cells was 6.25% ± 3.30% and 20.92 ± 18.5% (t = 2.409, P < 0.05) in Child-Pugh A and Child-Pugh B + C cirrhotic patients, respectively. The percentage of late apoptotic marrow CD34+ cells was positively correlated with the total bilirubin and aspartate aminotransferase serum levels in patients with cirrhosis.

CONCLUSION: The status of CD34+ marrow cells in cirrhotic patients may suggest that the ability of hematopoietic progenitor cells to transform into mature blood cells is impaired.

Keywords: Cirrhosis; CD34; Hematopoietic stem cells/Hematopoietic progenitor cells; Apoptosis