Circulating fibrocyte levels correlate with left ventricular mass in middle-aged healthy adults without hypertension

Abstract

Background: Fibrocytes, circulating bone-marrow derived cells that differentiate into fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, are a major source of hypertensive arterial fibrosis and correlate with left ventricular (LV) mass in subjects with hypertension. We tested whether circulating fibrocytes levels correlate with LV mass in middle-aged adults without hypertension. Methods: We measured peripheral blood fibrocyte levels and their activated phenotypes in 13 middle-aged, non-hypertensive adults and performed cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to assess LV mass. Results: There was a strong correlation between total fibrocyte levels (CD45 + Col1+) and LV mass index (r = 0.71, p = 0.006), as well as fibrocyte subsets expressing the chemokine markers CCR2 (r = 0.60, p = 0.032), CCR5 (r = 0.62, p = 0.029), CCR7 (r = 0.60, p = 0.034), co-expression of CXCR4 and CCR2 (r = 0.62, p = 0.029), α-SMA+ (r = 0.57, p = 0.044), CD133 (r = 0.59, p = 0.036), and pSTAT6 (r = 0.64, p = 0.032). Conclusions: Circulating fibrocytes are associated with LV mass index in middle-aged, non-hypertensive adults and may be a harbinger for the development of hypertension.

Keywords

• Fibrocyte
• Fibrosis
• Left ventricular mass
• Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging