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 significantincrease(P0.001)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.