Circulating endothelial progenitor cells and residual in vivo thromboxane biosynthesis in low-dose aspirin-treated polycythemia vera patients

Abstract

Polycythemia vera (PV) is associated with high morbidity and mortality for thrombosis. We hypothesized that in PV altered sensitivity to aspirin might be related to dysfunction of the endothelial repair and/or of the nitric oxide (NO) system. Urinary thromboxane (TX) A2 metabolite (TXM). endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), plasma asymmetric dimethyl- arginine (ADMA) and von Willebrand factor (VWF) were measured in 37 PV patients on low-dose aspirin and 12 healthy controls. Patients showed an approximately 2-fold increase in median TXM and plasma ADMA levels (P