WEDNESDAY, Oct. 5, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- High levels of a stem cell subtype called endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the blood may improve the survival rate of people with acute lung injury, a deadly form of lung failure.
A study of 45 patients with acute lung injury by researchers at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta found that patients with higher levels of EPCs had better survival rates. Patients with an EPC colony count of 35 or more had a death rate of 30 percent, compared with 61 percent for patients with an EPC colony count of less than 35.
The findings appear in the October issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
"Overall, the number of circulating EPCs in patients with ALI (acute lung injury) is approximately two-fold higher than in healthy control subjects," researcher Dr. Ellen L. Burnham said in a prepared statement.
"More importantly, in this study, an increased number of EPCs was associated with improved survival, even after correcting for differences in age, sex and severity of illness. In those patients with ALI whose blood specimens were obtained over a seven-day period, the number of circulating EPCs did not change significantly. Thus, the measurement of EPC colony-forming units is promising as a novel prognostic marker for survival in patients with ALI," Burnham said.
"These findings also support the possibility that adequate mobilization of EPCs from the bone marrow in ALI could potentially contribute to repair and recovery of damaged endothelium," she added.
Endothelium is the layer of cells that line the heart, blood and lymph vessels. Repair of damaged endothelium is important in recovery from acute lung injury. Previous research in animals found that bone marrow-derived EPCs develop into mature endothelium and help repair damaged vascular systems, the researchers said.
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