Characterization of Intimal Smooth Muscle Precursor Cells in Circulating Human Peripheral Blood : Potential Origin of Intimal Smooth Muscle Cells in Vascular Lesions

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Background Smooth muscle cells (SMC) play an important role in human vascular diseases. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that circulating smooth muscle precursor cells (SMPC) derived from bone marrow contribute to intimal hyperplasia in animal models.Methods and Results We obtained large spindle cells expressing smooth muscle a-actin (a-SMA), denoted here as "smooth muscle-like cells" (SMLC), from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). SMLC derived from human PBMC proliferated readily and had a pro-inflammatory phenotype during early culture. After maturation, SMLC could contract and express major SMC-markers. We discovered PBMC-expressing a-SMA in the circulating blood ; they exhibited a CD14(+)-CD105(+) phenotype. Sorted CD14-CD105 double-positive PBMC could differentiate into SMLC. The number of CD14-CD105-bearing PBMC increased significantly in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to patients without CAD.Conclusion These results support the novel concept that SMPC exist in circulating human blood and could potentially contribute to the pathogenesis of vascular diseases.