Genomic damage in endothelial progenitor cells from uremic patients in hemodialysis.

cells in blood samples in 30 patients in hemodiafiltration treat- ment for 3.5 to 4 hours 3 times/week and in 30 healthy volunteers. In HD patients, blood samples were drawn at different time intervals: start of dialysis (T 0 ), at the end of the treatment (T end ) and 24 hours afterwards in the interdialytic day (T inter ). Staining and analysis was performed using the ISHAGE (International Society of Hematotherapy and Graft Engineering) guidelines. EPCs count was conducted using a multiparameter flow cytometric lyse no-wash method. Genomic dam- age was evaluated by Comet assay. Results: The number of CD34 + cells in the HD patients at the beginning of the dialysis session (T0) was sig- nificantly lower than in healthy controls. HD patients showed a significant increase in CD34 number at the end of the session (T end ) with respect to T 0. In the inter- dialytic period (T int ), the number of CD34 + cells was sig-