RESUMO
Objective To determine the level of peripheral blood CD34 positive (CD34+) cells in patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI),and to explore its clinical significance.Methods The level of peripheral blood CD34+ cells was determined by flow cytometry within 72 hours of onset of patients with acute cerebral infarction (infarct group,n=45),cerebrovascular risk factors in patients without cerebral infarction (high risk group,n=27) and healthy subjects (control group,n=20).The neural function defect score,infarction lesion volume and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) were determined in patients with infarction group.Results The percentages of peripheral blood CD34 cells in infarction group (0.034 ±0.012)％ and the high risk group of patients (0.047±0.009)％ were lower than that of control group(0.063±0.009)％,and were lower in infarction group than in high-risk groups (all P＜0.05).The percentages of peripheral blood CD34+cells were significantly decreased compared with control group (P＜0.05) in infarction patients with mild [(0.047±0.009)％],moderate [(0.036±0.009)％],severe [(0.022±0.007)％] infarction nervous function defect score.Wherein,the percentages were lower in severe group than in the moderate group,moderate group was lower than in mild group (all P＜0.05).The percentages of peripheral blood CD34 cells in infarction patients with small,moderate,large infaret lesion volume were lower than in control group (P＜0.05),wherein,were lower in large group than in moderate group,lower in moderate group than in treatment group (all P＜0.05).Infarction patients were confirmed with carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) by carotid ultrasound.The extent of lesion were divided into carotid artery intimal thickening group [(0.043±0.010)％],carotid artery plaque group [(0.036±0.010)％],and carotid artery stenosis group [(0.023±0.009)％].The levels of peripheral blood CD34+ cells in three groups of patients were decreased compared with control group.The levels were lower in carotid artery stenosis group than in carotid artery plaque group,lower in carotid artery plaque group than in carotid artery intimal thickening group (all P＜0.05).Conclusions The level of peripheral blood CD34+ cells in acute cerebral ischemia is reduced,it can become a sensitive and early indicator of cerebral ischemia,and its level is related to neurologic impairment,infarction size and the degree of carotid artery atherosclerosis.