Summary

No data are available about the possible role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), cytochemokines and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in determining a different response to short period of cardiologic rehabilitation (CR), as measured by the improvement of exercise capacity. In a population of 86 cardiac surgery patients, we evaluated the numbers of EPCs, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6,IL-8, IL-10, IL-1ra), hs-C-reactive protein (CRP), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and NT-proBNP before (T1), and after 15 days of CR (T2). EPCs were measured by flow cytometry, and the exercise capacity was measured at T1 and T2 by using the sixminute walk test (6MWT). At T2, a significant increase of 6MWT (p<0.0001) was detected. No significant increase of EPCs was observed, while a significant (at least p<0.05) decrease in cytochemokines, CRP and NT-ProBNP levels was evidenced. By analyzing the median improvement of 6MWT, only patients with a median improvement ≥23% showed a significant (p<0.05) increase of EPCs at T2, with significant correlations between EPCs, VEGF and IL-10. On the contrary, in patients with a median improvement <23% a negative correlation between CRP and EPCs was observed. Finally, CD34+/KDR+ EPCs showed significant correlation with IL-8 at T1. In conclusion, a short period of CR intervention determines a different pattern of modifications for EPCs in relation to the improvement of exercise capacity.