Circulating CD34 ⁺ Progenitor Cells and Risk of Mortality in a Population With Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

Reduced circulating progenitor cell counts, identified primarily as CD34(+) mononuclear cells or its subset expressing CD133, are associated with risk of death in individuals with coronary artery disease, suggesting that impaired endogenous regenerative capacity is associated with increased mortality. These findings have implications for biological understanding, risk prediction, and cell selection for cell-based therapies.