Role of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis with Coronary Calcification

Abstract

Our results demonstrated that RA patients with coronary atherosclerosis have significantly lower levels of CD133/KDR+ and CD133+ EPC than those without. In addition to older age, lower levels of circulating CD133/KDR+ EPC also predicted occurrence of coronary atherosclerosis in RA patients.