Increased circulating endothelial progenitor cells and improved short-term outcomes in acute non-cardioembolic stroke after hyperbaric oxygen therapy

• Published in: Journal of translational medicine Vol. 16; no. 1; p. 255
• Main Authors: Chen, Chen-Yu, Wu, Re-Wen, Tsai, Nai-Wen, Lee, Mel S, Lin, Wei-Che, Hsu, Mei-Chi, Huang, Chih-Cheng, Lai, Yun-Ru, Kung, Chia-Te, Wang, Hung-Chen, Su, Yu-Jih, Su, Chih-Min, Hsiao, Sheng-Yuan, Cheng, Ben-Chung, Chiang, Yi-Fang, Lu, Cheng-Hsien
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 12.09.2018; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Antioxidants (Nutrients); Apoptosis; Barthel index; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Brain research; C-reactive protein; Case-Control Studies; CD34 antigen; Clinical outcomes; Councils; Disease; Endothelial progenitor cells; Endothelial Progenitor Cells - pathology; Female; Free radicals; Health aspects; Hospitals; Humans; Hyperbaric oxygen therapy; Hyperbaric Oxygenation; Hypotheses; Interdisciplinary aspects; Ischemia; Male; Middle Aged; Modified Rankin Scale; Mortality; National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; NMR; Non-cardioembolic stroke; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Oxidative Stress; Oxygen therapy; Progenitor cells; Proteins; Risk factors; Short term; Stem cells; Stroke; Stroke - blood; Stroke - therapy; Studies; Thiobarbituric acid; Thiols; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Working groups; Hyperbaric oxygen therapy; Non-cardioembolic stroke; Barthel index; National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; Modified Rankin Scale; Endothelial progenitor cells
• ISSN: 1479-5876; 1479-5876
• DOI: 10.1186/s12967-018-1629-x

Acute ischemic stroke is a leading cause of mortality and long-term disability, and profiles of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) reflect the degree of endothelial impairment. This study tested the hypothesis that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) both improves the clinical short-term outcomes and increases the number of circulating EPCs and antioxidant capacity. The numbers of circulating EPCs [CD133 /CD34 (%), KDR /CD34 (%)], biomarkers for oxidative stress (thiols and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances), and clinical scores (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS], Barthel index [BI], and modified Rankin Scale [MRS]) were prospectively evaluated in 25 patients with acute non-cardioembolic stroke under HBOT at two time points (pre- and post-HBOT). The biomarkers and clinical scores were compared with those of 25 age- and sex-matched disease controls. The numbers of KDR /CD34 (%) in the HBOT group following HBOT increased significantly, whereas the numbers of CD133 /CD34 (%) also showed a tendency to increase without statistical significance. The mean high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels showed significant decrease post-HBOT follow-up in the HBOT group. The changes in KDR /CD34 EPC (%) numbers were positively correlated with changes in clinical outcomes scores (BI, NIHSS, and MRS) in the HBOT group. Based on the results of our study, HBOT can both improve short-term clinical outcomes and increase the number of circulating EPCs in patients with acute non-cardioembolic stroke.