Raiders of the lost mark - endothelial cells and their role in transplantation for hematologic malignancies

• Published in: Leukemia & lymphoma Vol. 57; no. 12; pp. 2752 - 2762
• Main Authors: Blix, Egil S., Husebekk, Anne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.12.2016
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Bone Marrow - metabolism; Bone Marrow - pathology; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; Cell Communication; Cell Survival; Endothelial cells; Endothelial Cells - cytology; Endothelial Cells - drug effects; Endothelial Cells - metabolism; endothelial progenitor cells; Endothelial Progenitor Cells - cytology; Endothelial Progenitor Cells - metabolism; Graft vs Host Disease - etiology; Graft vs Host Disease - metabolism; graft-versus-host disease; Hematologic Neoplasms - metabolism; Hematologic Neoplasms - mortality; Hematologic Neoplasms - pathology; Hematologic Neoplasms - therapy; hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation - adverse effects; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - cytology; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - metabolism; Humans; Neovascularization, Pathologic - metabolism; Prognosis; Protein Binding; Recurrence; Signal Transduction; Transplantation Conditioning - adverse effects; hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; endothelial progenitor cells; Endothelial cells; graft-versus-host disease
• ISSN: 1042-8194; 1029-2403
• DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2016.1201566

Endothelial cells (EC) are crucial for normal angiogenesis and important for patients with leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma during and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Knowledge of endothelial dysfunction in hematologic malignancies is provided by translational studies analyzing soluble endothelial markers, morphologic and functional changes of EC cultured in patients' sera or enumeration of circulating EC or endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). EC are important for stem cell homing and maintenance. Endothelial activation or damage is a central component in the pathogenesis of several complications after HSCT, like acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease, sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, capillary leak syndrome, engraftment syndrome, diffuse alveolar syndrome, idiopathic pneumonia syndrome, and transplant-associated microangiopathy. Finally, EC or EPC may facilitate tumor cell survival thus representing potential factors for both disease progression and relapse in hematologic malignancies.