Abstract 18796: Characterization of Endothelial Colony-forming Cells Bioactivity in Young Adults Born Extremely Preterm Versus Term

Introduction: Among subtypes of endothelial progenitor cells, endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFC) display high proliferative and angiogenic capacity in vitro and are considered biomarkers of angiogenic/regenerative capacity. Cord blood ECFC from preterm born (PT) infants have impaired bioactivity, especially in those who develop prematurity-related complications such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Whether ECFC dysfunction persists in PT beyond the neonatal period is not known. Objective: Our aim was to assess ECFC bioactivity (in vitro growth, angiogenic capacity) in extremely PT vs. term (T) born young adults. Methods: ECFC were obtained from peripheral blood from 19 young adults (21-28 years old) born extremely PT (<29 weeks gestation) and 19 T (≥37 weeks, paired by gender, age and socioeconomic status). Mononuclear cells (PBMC) were separated by density gradient and plated (5x10(6) cells/flask) to allow ECFC colony formation. ECFC were cultured to assess cell phenotype (CD45-/CD34+/CD31+/KDR+), in ...